About a year ago, I received this text from G before 6 AM: “They let me go.”
I remember the time because I had just gotten up and was in the kitchen about to eat breakfast. “They” was the Arkansas State Capitol Police, and for me it was a relief. For my husband, at the time, it was the end of the world.
If you ever met him, you would know that he was the ultimate law enforcement officer. He was one of the good ones. In 2005 he was named the Little Rock Police Department Officer of the Year. He was an officer who was never afraid to apprehend anyone doing the wrong thing. A year into our marriage, he broke his wrist chasing a suspect, and even commandeered a kid’s bike to chase a bad guy. The next time you see him, ask him to tell you the story.
If everyone took as much pride in their profession as G, the world would be much better off. There have been dark days, including two shootings (where he was found justified) and having to stand guard during the George Floyd times of unrest, but he would tell you that it was the job.
If he was so good at what he did then why was he let go? That’s the $64,000 question. Arkansas is an at-will employment state, meaning that “an employer can end the employment relationship for any reason, or no reason at all, as long as they don’t do it for an illegal reason” (Taken from the Association of Arkansas Counties website). That day, he was told that his services were no longer needed.
Looking back, I saw signs that “they” wanted him to leave, but when you love what you do, you’ll pretty much do anything to stay. Before he was let go, he was demoted from sergeant to corporal, relegated to a midnight shift, and he often had this thought that leadership was out to get him. Not everyone could have endured that. G believed that policing was his calling and he would show up no matter the schedule.
October 2023 to February 2024 was a dark time in our lives. While I believed that this separation of employment was a good thing, I had to understand that my husband was hurt and resentful for good reason. It wasn’t enough for me to tell him I loved him no matter what he did for a living, he wanted closure, which he has yet to get.
He has tried unsuccessfully to file a wrongful termination claim with the EEOC and that’s okay. One reaps what one sows. We aren’t waiting for bad things to happen to anyone, but I truly believe that karma is real.
If you are at a crossroads for whatever reason, you will eventually be okay. I’m grateful for trusted family and friends who held us up with prayer. Thank God we were able to continue to live within our means during that time.
My husband will always be a law enforcement officer in his heart, but frankly, “they” don’t deserve him. He’s in a much better place. He’s now in a position where he has holidays and weekends off, and he can be my plus one if we choose. To the good law enforcement officers out there who continue to fight the good fight, press on. To those who oppress the good ones, well, you’ll eventually get yours.
At some point I will write a book chronicling the good and bad, but until then, I’m going to continue to give God the glory for bringing us through this past year and for always being our source of protection. I can truly say, I don’t look like what I’ve been through.
#ksmithsays
ksmithsays 