1 Month After Cop Husband Killed, Widow Shares Heartbreaking Photo of Son
Death is not a respecter of persons, and yet despite the danger already prevalent in our world, there are those who put themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe.
There are dozens of things that could end your life at a moment’s notice from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep, but police officers encounter more danger than the average individual.
Chase Maddox, of Locust Grove, Georgia, probably didn’t know what was waiting for him at the end of another day.
He was in a good place in life: his wife was expecting and he was ready and eager to invite the new life they’d created into the world.
While he was on duty on Feb. 9, he was called in by two deputies, Michael Corley and Ralph Callaway, who were attempting to serve a warrant. The man, Tierre Guthrie, had refused to open the door, so they called for assistance.
“It became apparent that the suspect was not going to go with police, which is why a Locust Grove officer was called in to assist,” Sheriff Kenneth McBrayer later said.
After Maddox arrived, Guthrie started firing through the door.
Maddox was shot and killed, and both Corley and Callaway were shot as well. While they were both wearing bulletproof vests, one was shot just below the vest, in the waist, and sustained serious injuries.
The other deputy’s vest stopped the bullet that was headed right for his ribcage.
“Thank God for the bulletproof vest,” said Wade Corley, Michael Corley’s brother. “The bullet went through the vest and caught him near the right side of his ribs.”
Just four days after Maddox passed away, his wife, Alex, gave birth to their son, Bodie. She had a photo taken of him cradling his daddy’s badge, and the photo touched hearts everywhere.
She posted the photo along with some song lyrics on March 9, exactly a month after her husband had been killed. The lyrics she chose were from “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a song by Elvis Presley.
“When you walk through a storm hold your head up high / And don’t be afraid of the dark. / At the end of a storm is a golden sky / And the sweet silver song of a lark.
“Walk on through the wind, / Walk on through the rain, / Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown. / Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart / And you’ll never walk alone, / You’ll never, ever walk alone.”
Corley has been released from the hospital and Callaway is still in the recovery process and has been going under surgery.
Friends and family have been incredibly supportive of the Maddox clan, and have raised around $140,000 through both GoFundMe and YouCaring, showing that this officer really reached hearts and lives during his five years on the force.
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