There are small incidents that restore faith and hope that we can all live in peace in a world where hate crimes are still a serious issue and in a nation where discrimination against people of different racial groups has long existed.
An ex-convict approaches the officer who locked him up eight years ago after spotting him. This could be the ideal setup for a thriller, which would undoubtedly feature gunshots, plans for retaliation, and a lot of chasing and running.
However, this is real life, and fortunately, sometimes things don’t go as planned.
Edward “Doc” Amey used to be a mischievous child and adolescent. He was frequently detained by the police and had a history of running afoul of the law.
“I have not always been a friend to the police,”Amey said. “I grew up selling drugs. I’ve been to prison three times.”
Senior Patrolman Salvador “Sal” Chapa and Doc Amey have a history.
Amey has been convicted of six felonies as well as numerous misdemeanors in the past. But along the way, he made the decision to give up crime and make an effort to live a new life based on Christian values.
Salvador Chapa, a Texas City Police Department officer, made his final arrest of him in 2007.
Amey would spend several years in prison after Chapa had him arrested on a gun charge. He did receive a five-year sentence.
But Amey had a realization while he was incarcerated. He made the decision to turn to God and put his trust in him to deliver him from the wrong path he had been on up until that point.
Amey prayed, “God, if you are real, change my life,” In fact, the young man was freed after a year and a half, at which point he began to become more actively involved in the church and made the decision to dedicate his life to God and His word.
The ex-convict successfully completed bible college with perfect attendance, and for many years afterward, he remained active and influential in his local church. Then, one day, he ran into Salvador Chapa, the man who had once locked him up. Contrary to what one might have anticipated, Amey had no desire to exact revenge on the officer who had previously arrested him because, after all, he had changed.
Amey only wanted to pray for the police officer who risked his life every day to keep the neighborhood safe and crime-free.
He went up to him and invited him to pray with him. A bystander named Kevin Woods recorded the stirring moment because he felt it needed to be shared. In order to explain why the moment was so special, he posted the picture and a brief text with it.
“This man wanted to pray for the officers safety. We should be seeing more of this in America. There shouldn’t be race involved and this is living proof that color doesn’t matter. This is a prime example. All lives matter ONE NATION UNDER GOD!”He wrote in his post that was reshared by the local police department.
Senior Patrolman Salvador “Sal” Chapa and Doc Amey held hands as they joined together in prayer.
It’s encouraging to see Amey recognize how Chapa ended up assisting him and then pray for the officer’s safety while on the job. This is how we can truly achieve peace and unity in our communities. Chapa expressed his gratitude to Amey for praying with him and to everyone who has shown their support for the two through their reactions.
“After seeing the picture getting posted and all, I was overwhelmed but at the same time I was happy it happened, I hope whoever views it looks at police in a different aspect. We’re here to help everybody,”Officer Chapa said.
