Gary Police Officer Gets Emotional During Final Radio Call
Chicago (CBS) -- A video showing a Gary, Indiana, police officer's final radio call has been viewed close to 30,000 times on Facebook.
Jeston Walker served on the city's police force for eight years. "I grew up in Gary, played basketball, grew up in one of the toughest projects and I saw my friends get in trouble," Walker told CBS 2. "I saw my friends get killed."
Walker joined the police force, he said, "to make a difference in the city I grew up in."
On February 28, 2019, during his final radio call, Walker sat in his squad car and became emotional as his colleagues wished him well and thanked him for his service. "You're still part of the family," said a man identified by Walker as Sergeant Mike George.
In the video Walker posted to his Facebook page, he can be seen wiping tears from his eyes as he listens. He then thanks his fellow officers. "I appreciate the times I spent with y'all," he said.
"That's not typical of a last shift. It's usually like that if you retire," Walker told CBS 2. "It was shocking. That's why I was so touched. That's how you realize you made an impact on the community and the department."
Walker is the father of five girls. He told CBS 2 that leaving the Gary police force was a hard decision but the best one for his family.
(Video courtesy of Jeston Walker)
