Cop with a Golden Heart

A fictitious name was given to protect the privacy of “Beth”

September 24, 2020

As told by Beth.

I was pregnant, scared and 19 years old and my mom forced me to get an abortion.

I was really upset about it and was angry all the time. And the night of the incident was no different.

About a week before the abortion – while my mom was asleep – I went online and met a guy. He asked if I wanted to get a drink. I said, “yes,” even though I wasn’t a drinker. But I was so angry that night, I needed some kind of release for my anger. So I went. I snuck out of my house and we met up.

The guy was a complete stranger and now looking back I can’t believe it, but I hopped right into his car! We drove down the road to a quiet place and started drinking in his car.

I got tipsy.

He asked if I would do some cocaine with him, and I did. That was my first time. I felt really scared but I also felt empowered…and free.

…then everything went black.

The guy evidently drove me home. Yes, that’s right – two intoxicated and high people in the car. One blacked out and the other as high as a kite!

He dropped me off at my house and somehow I made it inside.

My parents were unfortunately used to seeing people on drugs because my brother was a drug addict for most of his teenage years. His drug of choice was mainly heroin. I watched my brother do drugs in my house from the time I was 12 years old. It was scary and it was always so hard on my mom.

She would get angry, cry, get more angry and the cycle never really stopped.

It was always noisy in our house.

But I was the “good one.” The girl. Beth. The cute one with pig tails and freckles. I would sit and watch as my brother did drugs. It frightened me.

My brother was so bad that my parents often had to call the cops for help. They would come to our house, and sometimes take my brother away.

There was one cop in particular that always used to be nice to young-girl me.

When he came to our house on a call he would always smile sweetly at me and make sure I wasn’t in the room when my brother was acting violently or in ways he shouldn’t act (my mom was always thankful to the cop for that).

One time when I was young I actually ran away from home. It was that cop who found me and gently returned me to my house. Deep down, this cop made me feel special when he watched out for me and made sure I was safe. During those days, I was thankful to him for that. I felt like he had my back and was always protecting me.

But that night, when I got home, my mom, who was a middle school teacher her whole life, saw me.  I remember my mom being so upset. She pushed me and she said, “You’re on drugs!” She saw the cigarettes in my pocket, and said, “and you’re smoking too?!?”

Then she grabbed my cigarettes out of my pocket and ripped them in half.

Things escalated pretty fast and I started physically fighting with my parents. I grabbed a chair and threw it at them (thank God I missed).

My brother came downstairs. And this time my mom immediately told HIM to call the police. The police came right away (crazy how quick they came).

The cops entered the house.

My mom stepped back and let them take over the situation. The cops tried to calm me down. I got angry. I punched one of them in the face (automatic felony, by the way).

I kept resisting arrest.

In all the confusion, my mom noticed one of the cops was THE cop that used to take care of me when my brother had his drug incidents. The one who found me when I ran away from home. The one who protected me from seeing things I shouldn’t see as a young girl. The one who offered me comfort with his smile.

“Do you remember my daughter??” my mom asked. “She was 15 years old when you last came for my son?!?”

“This is her.” “It’s Beth!” “It’s Beth!”

Under normal conditions the cops would have taken me to prison on felony charges and drug charges. But the cop stopped and actually remembered me and instructed his team to ease up.

“She doesn’t do this,” he said to his team. “This is not the Beth I know.” He didn’t know me on drugs like this. He knew me as a kid with freckles. And a kid that lost her way.

So the ambulance came and gave me an injection and I immediately calmed down. They took me to the hospital.

I wish I could say that that was the end of drugs for me. But I can’t say that. I went on to do drugs for another year and a half and became addicted. I’m in recovery now. 7 months clean. I’m now at a rehab (Water Gap Wellness Center) and am learning to live a life without drugs.

The officer saved me from going to prison that night. If I could thank him, I would, for all the years he watched over me and helped me. He showed me that not all cops are bad. That there are cops that care. And that he gave me hope back then. I think about him all the time and try to help other people like he helped me.

The cop retired.

*******

Beth is in recovery at Water Gap Wellness Center working toward a life of sobriety. Beth would someday like to work with animals in some capacity. Now 21 and pregnant again, Beth is excited to have her baby and looks forward to a long life of health and wellness.

Thanks to Beth for sharing her story with us. Water Gap Wellness helps people who have substance use disorder and mental health disorders. Water Gap Wellness has an on-site Psychiatrist daily, provides two private counseling sessions weekly, group sessions daily and adventure therapy on the Appalachian Trail. Counselors are trauma trained and work to find the root of the disorder. The average stay for individuals is 28 days. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to us. Our caring admissions staff is here to help 24/7.

1-833-949-4673

edited by Annette Kaiser