We ran across this post today from a friend and former Tennessee State Trooper Anthony Tollett.  Many may recall the day he is writing about.  Our world today is a very dangerous one for those who have taken on the responsibility of ‘serving and protecting’ the citizens and we thought Anthony’s recollection on the anniversary of that fateful day was well worth sharing with our CNF readers:

Facebook: Anthony Tollett – thinking about old memories

18 years ago today, I was involved in a shooting that changed my life forever. As a Tennessee State Trooper I stopped a vehicle for traveling 82 mph. I had no way of knowing the 16-year-old driving had, the day before, murdered his father, mutilated the body and kidnapped his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend.  As I was sitting in my patrol car issuing him a citation, I let him sit in the front seat with me. (This was a mistake on my part, but a common occurrence at the time). He seemed like a great kid – he was an eagle scout, made straight A’s in school and was active in church. I knew all this because we sat and talked about 15 minutes. The young girl showed no distress but was very quite. I found out she was listed as a missing person or run away. He ask if he was in trouble and I told him ‘no’ but that she had to come with me.  About this time my dispatcher made a mistake (I know he wished he could do it over) and told me he had just determined the boy was wanted for 1st degree murder. The boy over heard this and started opening the car door to exit my car. I thought he was going to run so I got out and ran around the back of my patrol car. As he was exiting the car I saw a shiny object in his hand, and he looked me right in the eyes, and I was looking at satan’s eyes.  As he finished getting out he took his eyes off me, and the good Lord had me move a few steps to the side and draw my service weapon. He then raised his arm to where I had been a second earlier and I saw that he indeed did have a weapon, a 22 magnum pistol – small but deadly.  The 1/2  second delay that my steps to the side caused saved my life that day.  I shot 8 times and, unfortunately, that 16-year-old died on the side of I-40 that morning. That young boy was named Brandon Frame, and the autopsy showed that after he fell he also shot himself… some consolation to me.  And although totally cleared of wrongdoing on my part, the shooting still destroyed my 15 plus year career in law enforcement and pretty much mine and my family’s life at the time. I have never been the same.  I ended up in a mental hospital for three days and still today am trying to figure what all could have been done different to have prevented his death. I have never told this past event on Facebook before, but I am still an officer at heart. I left a part of my heart on the side of the interstate that morning, and want all my friends to understand that an officer truly never knows if he will come home from work. Please thank and support all law enforcement officers.  Some may make wrong choices, but remember they have seconds to make a decision, that a judge or jury has days to make. Even if they make all the right choices, it does not mean they will emerge unscathed. Thanks for letting me tell my story, and a big THANK YOU to all my law enforcement friends.