The Reason This Cop Pulled Over This Young Man Isn’t What You Think

He Got Pulled Over

William had been going on a casual drive around when a police officer pulled him over. He felt totally confused since he did not think that he was doing anything wrong. What could it possibly be?

Shaking In His Boots

He was a good driver without any prior history of accidents or tickets. He had no idea why this cop was stopping him. He did not at all expect what was about to happen when the cop got out of the vehicle.

Not Normal

The cop exited the patrol car and went up to William. The officer looked at the young man for a couple of seconds and looked at the dashboard of his car. This is unlike any interaction you have seen before!

A Cop Car

William looked out his rearview mirror to find the blue, red, and white flashing lights. He knew what it meant. Don’t we all? His suspicions were further confirmed upon hearing the wail of the police siren.

What’s To Come

His heart was beating fast. There were a lot of questions going through his mind at that moment. It did not make a lick of sense to him nor did he understand why he just got pulled over. He tried to calm down when the cop approached his window.

Being Patient

William was in a state of total confusion. After all, he was aware that he was not going above the limit or doing illegal activities. Even so, the only way to find out what the cop wanted was to listen.

The Waiting Game

Nothing about the situation made sense to William. This was the first time he ever got pulled over. What did the cop want with him? He felt frustrated since he had always been a law-abiding citizen.

Getting Nervous

It was not like he could refuse to follow any order the cop gave him. William pulled the car to the side and spoke to the cop to find out what was going on. He waited patiently for the cop to go up to his car.

Asking The Question

As the officer approached him, he rolled down the window to greet the cop. This young man wanted to know why he just got pulled over. Was he speeding without realizing it? William asked, “Good morning officer, was I speeding?”

No Disrespect

He made sure to use a courteous and polite tone, not wanting to disrespect an authority figure. William did not want to get into any trouble, but he was still confused by what was going on. Calmly, he kept going with his question.

What’s The HoldUp

It felt like yet another lifetime passed before the police officer finally gave him an answer. The cop did not look like he was in a rush and even seemed like he was taking his time. What did he have to say?

Nothing Wrong

William was going to be very surprised if the cop told him that he was about to get a ticket. Luckily for him, this was not the issue. “Good morning,” the cop told the young man. He added, “No, not speeding.”

Uncomfortable

In fact, the cop told William that he did not really get pulled over for a particular reason. William only felt more lost when he heard this. What did that mean? An awkward silence went on between them.

What Could It Be

If he was not getting pulled over for any particular reason, what was the big idea? William started to get scared and a little nervous. Regardless of what he was told, he knew that there must be a reason this police officer chose to stop him that afternoon.

An Unexpected Outing

William waited for what else this cop had to say to him. The young man was impatient and confused until the officer said something that took him by total surprise. He did not expect to hear such a thing!

Just Thanking Him

The cop decided to pull him over not for a ticket but because he had something to tell the young man. The officer told William, “Just wanted to stop you and say thank you for your service.”

How Did He Know?

What did this even mean? What service was this police officer talking about? Perhaps more importantly, how did he know that William did any service at all? This only made the young man feel more puzzled.

Did They Know Each Other?

The young man felt shocked that this random police officer would know such a thing about him. Was it possible that this was not their first meeting? How would a stranger know something like that?

His Bumper Sticker

It was then that he realized how the cop found out. For a second, he forgot that there was a bumper sticker on the back of his pickup truck. Of course, it would clue anyone in that he had been in the army!

A Symbol

It was common for army veterans to place stickers on their rides. For William, it was normal to hear another driver wave or honk to acknowledge his service. However, this was the first time that he had ever been stopped by a cop.

Not Over

Upon realizing what was going on, he thanked the cop warmly. “Oooh the bumper sticker, nice. You’re welcome sir,” William said. “My pleasure.” That was not the end of the encounter just yet. In fact, this was just the beginning for them!

Just The Beginning

William was prepared to end this conversation, but the police officer was the one who wanted to go on. The young man did not see this coming! Trust us, the next thing that happened will warm your heart.

A Few Questions

The officer refused to let the young man go. But why? He had more questions for this army veteran. In particular, this cop asked him where he had been posted. The officer asked, “Where did you serve?”

Something Seems Fishy

Initially, William felt a little skeptical about this exchange. He knew that it was not part of a police officer’s job to interrogate him about the time he spent in the military. Let us see what he told the cop.

About His Service

William decided to just give the cop the honest answers to his questions. The young man said that he was a heavy wheeled vehicle operator who just came back from somewhere in the Middle East.

Wants To Move On

“I went to Iraq,” William informed the cop. “Did a 15 monther out of Fort Benning.” He was only trying to get back to regular civilian life when he got pulled over and asked about his military service.

Not Making Sense

The cop actually had a good reason to be curious about the time William spent in Iraq. The young vet did not know why this officer had a lot of questions for him, however. He was beginning to get nervous.

His Own Motive

William could see that the police officer was interested in his story, but he did not know why he would get stopped for such a thing. The truth was that this cop had a set of motives for this line of questioning.

Like His Son

That was the moment that the cop told William about his son who served there as well. “Well alright. My son went to Iraq,” the police officer told him. This was why he pulled William over in the first place.

Seeing Things Differently

He just wanted to know more about another man who had the same experience as his son. He would go on to give more information about his son’s time in Iraq. William started to understand this cop more.

Change Of Heart

William did not feel scared or confused any longer. He started to see where the cop was coming from. He just finished his PTSD program. It was still new for William to talk about the things he went through.

He Died There

The conversation then took a rather shocking turn after that. What did the cop tell William that gave him a bit of a shock? The young vet thought he figured it all out when he found out about this piece of information. It was not at all what he expected to hear.

Speechless

It turned out that his son died there. “He didn’t make it home,” the police officer informed William. Clearly, it was hard for him to say this. It broke William’s heart to hear such a thing, and so he listened.

My Condolences

William, of course, felt terrible for this older man. Here he was, enjoying life as usual after returning from his time there. Meanwhile, this cop had been thinking about the son he lost in Iraq.

Noticed Something

This vet could not do a lot of things but to give the grieving father his condolences. “Man, I’m so sorry to hear that,” he said. After that, the police officer regained his own composure and nearly let the young man go when he spotted something on his dashboard.

His Folded Flag

The cop lifted his head with plans to let this young man go already. However, it was then that he noticed a curious object resting on his dashboard. It was a deliberately folded US flag! Why was it there?

Significance

When a funeral is held for a military man, an American flag is lowered and then folded 13 times into one triangle. This represents the lost lives of servicemen. Each of the 13 folds holds a special meaning.

Caught His Eye

“I see you have a flag in the truck,” the cop then said. The flag had been folded in the army custom that honored soldiers who died fighting for the country. Why did the flag catch the attention of the older man?

Just Like That

As soon as he saw the folded flag resting on the dashboard, he was reminded about the same one he also kept in his home. The police officer received it from the army as a way to honor his late son.

He Has The Same One

“The one we got for him! Well it’s at the house,” the cop went on. That was the moment that he asked the young man for a favor: “Can I ask a question?” William had no hesitations about obliging to any request, but the question still took him by surprise.

Out For A Spin

William woke up early that beautiful spring morning. He decided to take the pickup truck outside for a spin. That day was his day off, so he had the entire day to do whatever he wanted.

Day Ruined

He quite liked the thought of driving down a quiet New York street without traffic to piss him off. That was what he planned to do when he looked in the rearview mirror and saw the cop car following him.

Asking For A Hug

Anyway, let us find out what the police officer had to ask of him. The cop asked William to get out of the truck and hug him! The grieving father asked the vet, “Do you mind stepping out and receiving a hug?”

Knew He Was Upset

The request took William by complete surprise. It is not at all common to get pulled over by a cop and then get asked for a hug, is it? However, William could see just how upset the older man was.

Couldn’t Say No

This was not at all a regular situation. After the police officer asked him that question, he burst into tears! The older man said that this encounter left an impact on him. What did William do after that?

The Reason Why

Tears began to fall down his face as he told the young man something very personal. He explained that the reason he pulled William over in the first place was that the vet was similar to his late son.

A Constant Reminder

“You remind me of my son. I pulled you over,” the cop explained. “Thought you were him. I still don’t believe it most days he’s gone.” What else was there for him to do? Of course, William granted him the favor asked of him and hugged the older man!

A Warm Embrace

William could not stop his own tears from flowing either. He left the vehicle, held out his arms, and “hugged that man.” Later on, he recalled, “With tears in both our eyes I got out and hugged that man.”

A Stranger’s Love

After all the pain and time that he spent out there, William was humbled that this cop asked for a hug. This might be the first time that he and the cop met, but the embrace meant so much to him too.

Crying Together

The two men had been crying as they held another in that way. This on-duty police officer and war veteran just had a heart-to-heart talk. They decided to let the emotional hug go on for even longer.

He Also Needed A Hug

“I’m talking about for a minute or two crying,” William said. “Down to our knees crying.” While it was the cop who asked for the hug, he could not deny that he also needed it as much as the older man did.

They Needed It

His conscience might not have been aware of it at all back then, but William could also use a hug. Like many other war veterans out there, he also had to take a PTSD program.

Opening Up

The program was made in an effort to rehabilitate vets and prepare them for civilian life after they were made to experience the cruel conditions in Iraq. “I just finished a PTSD program,” he told the cop.

They Needed This

This was the last thing he needed in order to move on and start a new chapter in life. They did not know it back then, but they both needed one another and the embrace they shared.

Shell Shock Or PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the name of the anxiety disorder that happened after specialists saw a pattern that occurred among war veterans. They experienced traumatic situations that impacted them even after they left the military.

What Happens?

With such a disorder, the veteran may think that his life or that of others are always in danger. Perhaps they feel totally out of control about the situation. Sadly, this is not at all uncommon among veterans. William, together with his group, had been dealing with this as well.

Time To Reflect

He took quite some time to think about what he went through that particular afternoon. He felt moved whenever he thought about their embrace. To him, the story was too memorable to keep it a secret.

A Beautiful Message

Several weeks later, William decided to take to Facebook to talk about what happened that afternoon. After his truly amazing meeting with the police officer, he was able to find a new perspective on things.

Fresh Outlook

William was able to learn a number of things after that police officer pulled him over. He felt like sharing it with his friends: “To all the family and friends of soldiers, fighting or done fighting, God bless you…”

Unexpected

“…Your peace and your hearts,” he went on in that post. “It’s so hard without them, I know. This road is a tremendous one. Love to all.” He did not know that his life was about to change then.

It Went Viral

Soon enough, the post he made on social media would go viral and reach people from different parts of the globe! With the help of “Love What Matters,” it wound up getting over 48,000 reactions.

Support

There are many people who lost someone on the battlefield. They could see where the cop was coming from. One netizen shared their experience: “I lost my son in Iraq on May 3, 2004. He was only 26.”

Relatable

A lot of people were able to relate to William. He felt overwhelmed by the responses the post earned. People thanked him for his service, and others talked about their owns stories. He was able to inspire so many people!

Always Missed

“Not a day goes by I don’t miss and love him. I wonder what he would be like now, I miss him so much.” Aww. Unlike other men who got deployed abroad, William was lucky enough to get home safely.

Now A Father

After that life-changing moment, his life began to go in new directions. Maybe the most important change was his little girl whom he loves so much. Hearing the story of that cop shook him to his core.

A Father Of His Own

This made him realize that one can die so quickly and suddenly. He began to value all the time he has with his loved ones. These days, William is the father of a little girl.

An Amazing Person

We have no doubts that he is doing a great job at the act of childrearing. Considering that he was able to touch a complete stranger of a police officer, we bet his kid is getting all the love she deserves.

Fate

They might have been complete strangers, but they managed to be at the right place at the right time. William had been going through a tough time himself. Hearing the story of that cop made him grateful for what he had in life. Who would have thought you could be so happy after getting stopped by a cop?

The Ultimate Sacrifice

It is very painful for a parent to lose a child. The brave people who enter the military know that they are putting their lives on the line for the country. Wives and husbands sometimes become widows, but there is nothing quite like the hurt of losing a child.

Saying Thanks

We want to extend our gratitude to those who go into the military in the past, present, and future. Their family members also deserve thanks. After all, they are the ones who deal with the possibility that their loved ones would not make it back.

One Workday

Aside from William Jazwinski, there are many people out there who get pulled over on a daily basis. For example, Officer Michael Patterson had been going about his business when he saw a heavily tinted window. He had no idea that this encounter was going to become something else altogether.

Just Another Workday

It started out like a normal day for him. On the job, he had to keep the highways and roads safe for everyone. He wanted to make a safe environment for all the people on the road, so he always did his job as well as he could. Of course, not many people are happy when he pulls them over for a ticket.

Darker Than Allowed

On that particular day, he noticed one car as he was patrolling the Kingwood Township Highway. It was a bright day in June when he saw the white BMW. This driver was not driving recklessly or speeding. No, his only violation would be the fact that his window tint was too dark.

Dark Windows

Tinted windows are common, but there is a line that one must not cross. A person must still be able to look through them. Michael felt concerned after he noticed that the windows exceeded the limited. This was the reason he pulled it over.

An Unusual Ticket

It was not really new for him to pull over drivers for this reason. However, something about this driver was going to separate that moment from the others. This was not going to be a regular ticket at all!

Doing His Job

Michael stopped the driver because he wanted to point out the dark tint. This young officer did not want to be seen as a bad guy, but there were rules to follow. The driver must have been confused when he saw the officer turn on the siren and lights.

Just Talking

Michael always tried to be a good and friendly cop no matter what the offense was. When he pulled over the BMW, he did not expect that it was going to change his life forever. But how?

Unexpected

The driver of the BMW felt annoyed and frustrated about getting pulled over. You would have felt the same way. He knew that he was not doing anything wrong on the road, so why did he get pulled over? It turned out that the driver knew the rules better than most people did. Can you guess why?

A Retired Cop

The driver of the BMW was actually a former cop himself! This retired cop knew the rules as much as Michael did. He loved his old job and was good at it. We bet he found it embarrassing to be pulled over!

Dark Tint Windows

He was not planning to start trouble or harm. The only reason he had the tint was that he liked how they looked. He did not plan to argue with the cop who stopped him, however. It was not an issue for him.

Talking Shop

After finding out that this man was a retired cop, Michael felt more comfortable. He liked talking to a person who knew the job. They talked about it and bonded over this surprising similarity they had.

Bonding

Their exchanged had been caught on tape by the body camera Michael had on. It was going to be helpful later in the story. The retired cop introduced himself as Matthew Bailly. They talked some more.

Oldie but Goodie

Bailey might have been retired for a while already, but they had many things to discuss. Michael liked his job and enjoyed talking to the older man. Bailey then told him that he used to work in a different city.

Longer Conversation

They had a long conversation about life as a cop, but this would lead to something else. After that, the truth began to come out. Michael wanted to know more about Matthew and the city he used to work in.

A Big Coincidence

As they kept talking, they got to know more things about one another. The older man used to work a couple of cities away. This shocked Michael. After all, he was talking about the town he grew up in!

Speculations

Matthew asked the young man his age, but Michael did not feel like it was right to ask the older man the same question. Michael had a gnawing suspicion after he heard that Matthew used to work there.

26 Years Ago

It turned out that something fascinating happened there 26 years ago! The story happened on the exact day that Michael was born. It was a strange story that Michael had not discussed with anyone before.

His Hometown

When Matthew mentioned the place where he used to work, it caught Michael’s attention. That was his hometown. Of course, he was glad that the older man knew about it. The conversation just kept going!

More Questions

Michael was born in a town called Piscataway in 1991. Matthew was the one was shocked to hear this. He had been stationed there at the time! He pieced it together when he heard that Michael was born on October 5.

All Coming Together

Even before they talked about it, Michael could feel that he was on the right track. They talked about that night so many years ago. In the end , he realized that they had actually met on that same night!