The Chief

“We’ve lost a family member. The city lost a true hero, a true guardian, and protector. He loved life. His legacy is living life to its fullest. He lived that 100 percent, 100 miles per hour,” said Columbus Chief Kim Jacobs to the WCMH.

Friends For Two Decades

Officer Kevin Wheeler, who became a friend of Officer Smith almost 20 years earlier. They both worked together in the aviation unit. He was there to pay his tribute at the funeral. “He would take the shirt off his back for anybody in the unit, for anybody he knew that he could help out even outside the unit. The way he lifted the team in bad times and brought all of our spirits up, it was just unbelievable,” said Officer Kevin.

Jessica’s Sweet Gesture

Lt. Jeff Shelton from the Wellington Police Department was with other 8 cops in the restaurant and was really moved by Jessica’s gesture. “It really touched all of our hearts. We weren’t expecting to be treated any different than normal, and just for somebody to come and do that, it really made our day,” he told WCMH.

The Act Of Kindness

Shelton also said that Jessica’s act of kindness made the group believe in humanity and they became more emotional after that. “We were crying all day, and then you got a bunch of guys and female officers in there crying. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place by the time we were done.”

The Reason She Did It

Jessica told the media why she did it. She was inspired by Smith’s story who reminded her of her own father and her family. She knew that the cops put their life on danger so that general public can live a peaceful life. “He left behind a wife and kids. It could’ve been me. It could’ve been my dad.”

Childhood Days

When Jessica was a child, she used to wait for her father to come back home safely. She never went to bed before her father gave her a goodnight kiss. She knew how Officer Smith’s family would be feeling and what a tough phase they must be going through in their lives. She understood the pain. So, what she did for the cops that day was her way to show them the respect they deserve.