Skip to content

Praise for police officers

Editor,
I had an interesting night recently that involved the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and St. Elmo Police and Fire Departments.
I am a legal medical marijuana patient in Illinois. I have had ALS for 19 years, well beyond the 2-5-year life expectancy. I use a power wheelchair and my speech is hard to understand.
As of Jan. 1, it is legal to grow small amounts of marijuana for medical patients under certain conditions. I have met those conditions.
I put myself in a bad spot last night and I needed help. It was about 2 a.m. 
Because of my speech issues, I can’t use a phone and I couldn’t operate my power wheelchair to use my call button. I could barely hold my head up to type using my onscreen keyboard.
I messaged a friend on Facebook and typed, “I need help.” He had no idea about the predicament that I was in and began asking questions about my needs.
He lives over an hour away but offered to come to help me. I was extremely uncomfortable and typed, “I need help.” He called 911.
About 2:30 a.m., the police show up, banging on my door asking if I needed help. 
With no response from me, they then went to each window and then back door, where I could be seen through the window.
My doors were locked, and the deputy asked me to nod if I needed help. I nodded yes. He asked me to nod if he should kick my door in. I nodded that he should
Luckily, he found a way to get in without damaging my door.
They checked out of my house and and officer found my homegrown marijuana. He asked me if I thought it helped me. I nodded that it does.
He complimented me on my gardening skills. I nodded in appreciation.
They rearranged me in my wheelchair to where I could talk, and I said, 
“I’m legal.” An officer replied, “I’m not worried about that; we’re here to help you”.
The first responders arrived from the fire department. They brought my sister over to help me before everyone left.
With all the negative stories about police brutality, I felt the need to share my story.
Barry Coughlin
St. Elmo

Leave a Comment