Podcast
Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories
True Crime with a twist. By and from those that have been there. Crime stories from those that investigated crimes and caught criminals. Also victims of crimes tell about their experience. Plus trauma stories, by those that have been through it. Often crime based, but not always, people talk about the trauma, how it impacted them and how they built their lives after. Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories Radio Show and
It is a True Crime Show, a Law Enforcement Officer Show and a Human Interest show all in one. Get a glimpse of life behind the badge, investigations of true crimes, violence they encounter and experience. Law enforcement officers, first responders, military veterans, victims of crime and their families tell their stories of the trauma they experienced mostly regarding True Crime incidents. They also talk about how they built their new lives they wanted afterwards. While many people think the show is about Law Enforcement Training, or Law Enforcement specific topis, it is not, think of True Crime Podcasts with a twist.
The Law Enforcement Talk Show goes to radio first. Therefore it is required that I use a clock for the length of segments. You've probably seen on television news interviews that they have a hard break. It's the same with radio. The stations have to be able to program in their commercials, news, weather, traffic reports etc. These are called avails, they are NOT Optional. Every guest knows about and is informed of the length of the segments and that I will interrupt them if needed to go to the break. The interviews are recorded and the guests know that the segments must be in a certain length and it is required and they get to tell their stories to millions of people for free.
The bi-weekly podcast version of the syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show, with numerous affiliate US Radio Stations, broadcasting once a week to millions of people.
The show host, John "Jay" Wiley, is a radio DJ and Retired Baltimore Police Sergeant. The show started as a podcast, before being recruited by terrestrial AM-FM radio stations and has been in continuous operation since March of 2017. You can reach him at jay@letradio.com.
Background song Hurricane used by permission from the band Dark Horse Flyer, get more information about them and their music on their website.
You can follow us and connect on social media, if you are in the Clubhouse Drop In Audio App make sure you follow our club LET Radio and Podcast. You can also find and follow the host of the show John J Wiley on the Clubhouse Drop In Audio Chat program.
Be sure to check out our website.
Like and follow our facebook page. Our Twitter account. Also on Instagram.
- Documentary chart
- #12
- Episodes
- 604
- Releases
- Twice a week
- Typical length
- 40 min
- On air since
- 2021
- Latest episode
- 2 days ago
Episodes
604 episodes, newest first
-
40 min
A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash
Episode 878
Show notes
A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash. At just 37, he nearly lost his life in a devastating head-on crash with a combined impact speed of approximately 125 mph. The other driver was killed. His wife and children were severely injured but survived. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
He spent 18 days in a coma. Multiple ruptured organs left him near death, and he needed 36 units of blood in the first 36 hours. He endured 45 surgeries, was paralyzed from the waist down, and spent a long time using a wheelchair. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Today, he is walking again and in remarkable physical shape, a recovery that reflects years of treatment, rehabilitation, and determination. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
An 18-day coma. Dozens of surgeries. A wheelchair. John Ulsh, our guest, survived a crash that nearly killed him, and began the long fight to build a life beyond it.
John Ulsh was 37 years old when an ordinary family drive became a battle for survival.
It was December 2007. He was driving home with his wife and two children after a swim meet, with plans to pick out a Christmas tree. Then, on Route 422, another vehicle struck them head-on.
The collision involved a reported combined impact speed of approximately 125 mph. The other driver died. John’s wife and children were injured but survived. A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
John was left with catastrophic injuries and an uncertain future.
“The crash shattered my body, breaking my femurs, pelvis, ribs, arms, and more,” he recalled. “But it didn’t break me.”
Those words describe a determination that would be tested through years of pain, surgery, setbacks, and recovery.
John shares that journey as a guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, revealing what it took to survive, and what came after survival. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
His account is the story behind “A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash.”
John spent 18 days in a coma. Multiple ruptured organs brought him close to death, and he received 36 units of blood during the first 36 hours.
According to his account, he was given less than a 3 percent chance of surviving.
While his family faced their own injuries and the aftermath of the collision, John remained in a hospital bed, unaware of how completely his life had changed.
When he awoke, survival was only the beginning.
His recovery would involve months in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, years of rebuilding, and more than 45 surgeries. Paralyzed from the waist down, he spent a long period using a wheelchair.
“Doctors didn’t think I’d walk again,” John recalled.
“Some weren’t sure I’d survive.”
The man who had been driving his family home now had to relearn basic movements. Sitting up became work. Feeding himself became a milestone. Walking was a distant and uncertain possibility. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Recovery demanded patience on days when he wanted progress. It demanded effort when pain and exhaustion made even small tasks difficult. A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash.
John describes holding onto a reason to keep going.
“I knew that if I was still here, there had to be a reason.”
That sense of purpose helped him face the next task, the next setback, and the next difficult day. His experience would eventually shape the message he shares with others: people cannot always choose what happens to them, but they can work toward choosing their response.
Today, John walks again and has rebuilt his physical fitness. His journey from a hospital bed and wheelchair to an active life gives his message a deeply personal foundation. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
It also leaves room for the years of struggle that made that progress possible. Recovery did not happen in one dramatic moment. It unfolded through repeated effort, medical care, support, and steps that could seem painfully small.
Eventually, John felt called to put those experiences into words.
The result was his Book, The Upside of Down: A Survivor’s Guide to Turning Setbacks into Success.
Through his story, John explores the habits and decisions that helped him rebuild. His approach asks readers to look beneath the surface of their struggles, create a written plan, and take a first step even when the entire path remains unclear.
He emphasizes consistency, the people who offer support, and learning to find fulfillment beyond outside approval.
For someone facing a life-changing injury, a professional setback, or an uncertain future, those ideas begin with a practical question: What can be done today? Listen to the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for more conversations.
John’s experience gives that question weight. There were times when his next step meant learning to sit up. Later, it meant working toward movement he had been told might never return. A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash.
His Book carries those lessons beyond his own recovery, encouraging readers to examine what holds them back and begin working toward the life they want.
“My journey may have started with trauma,” John explained, “but it continues with purpose.”
Today, John Ulsh is a USA Today bestselling author, keynote speaker, coach, and business leader. Through Unbreakable Success, he shares his experiences with resilience, leadership, personal responsibility, and responding to adversity.
His interview offers listeners a chance to hear the person behind those accomplishments: a husband and father whose family survived a devastating collision, and whose recovery required far more than determination alone.
Listeners can hear his story on the Free Podcast from the National Radio Show. Visit the Law Enforcement Talk website for listening information, or find the Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Follow Law Enforcement Talk on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and share the episode with someone who could use encouragement during a difficult chapter.
To learn more about John, his speaking, and The Upside of Down, visit his website at www.johnulsh.com.
John survived the impact. He survived the coma. Then he faced the question that would shape everything that followed:
What would he do with the life he still had?
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
The show’s Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels offer additional stories and episode updates. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for episode updates.
Share this story with someone who values an honest conversation about police work, or someone discovering that the end of one mission can be the beginning of another, regardless of where they started.
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
A Miracle: His Life After a Deadly Head-On Crash.
Attributions
Amazon
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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39 min
His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story.
Episode 877
Show notes
His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. Gary Edgington was only three weeks into the police academy when the dangers of his chosen profession reached his own family. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
His father, Patrolman Harold L. Edgington, was murdered while issuing a parking citation. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Before Gary had completed his training or begun his own police career, he faced a devastating question: How does a son continue toward the badge after losing his father in the line of duty? The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
In this special episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Gary shares the story of his father’s murder, its impact on his family, and a career that eventually took him from Southern California investigations to counterterrorism work in Iraq.
A Conversation That Became Their Last
On September 30, 1979, Gary spoke with his father before the older Edgington left for work. Their conversation touched on academy training and the use of force, the kinds of subjects a police officer and his recruit son might naturally discuss. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram. His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode.
Neither knew it would be their final conversation.
“Little did I know this was the last time we would ever speak,” Gary writes in a remembrance published on his website.
Three hours later, his father’s office called and asked him to come to the emergency room. When Gary arrived, he learned his father had died.
The future he had been preparing for now carried an intensely personal loss.
A Parking Citation Turned Deadly
Patrolman Harold L. Edgington was issuing a parking citation when a man attacked him with a knife.
Despite being mortally wounded, Edgington drew his firearm and shot the fleeing attacker in the hip. A bystander used the officer’s motorcycle radio to call for assistance.
Responding officers confronted the suspect, who threatened them with the knife. They shot and killed him. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
For Gary’s family, the encounter meant the loss of a father. For a young academy recruit, it also brought the consequences of police work into painful focus. This special episode explores how that loss affected both his family and the career that followed.
He Continued Toward the Badge
Gary completed the academy and entered law enforcement.
His career included service with the Manhattan Beach Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. In 1994, he became a special agent with the California Department of Justice.
His assignments included major narcotics investigations, organized crime, unsolved homicides, and internal affairs. He also worked as a firearms and tactics instructor. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode
Over time, his responsibilities expanded into counterterrorism. He served on the FBI’s Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force and, following September 11, commanded a multi-agency counterterrorism task force for the California Department of Justice.
The range of those assignments gives this conversation a perspective that extends beyond a single investigation. Gary entered the profession as the son of a murdered officer, then spent decades confronting the dangers and responsibilities of police work himself.
Retirement Took Him to Iraq
Retirement from the California Department of Justice brought another demanding assignment.
In 2008, Gary deployed to Iraq as an embedded civilian counterterrorism and organized crime subject matter expert working with the U.S. Army on efforts to counter improvised explosive devices.
His investigative experience now served a mission in a war zone. He traveled through central and southern Iraq and participated in counterinsurgency operations.
After returning to the United States, he continued with intelligence and counterterrorism assignments, including work with the Department of Defense.
His story connects two worlds: the American police investigations that shaped his career and the wartime work that followed.
The Experiences Behind His Book, Outside the Wire
Those experiences helped inspire Gary’s book, Outside the Wire.
The novel follows a retired police detective serving as an embedded civilian counterterrorism advisor in Iraq. Alongside an Army doctor, the central character becomes caught in a deadly struggle involving covert operatives and a threat to thousands of lives. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram. His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode
The author’s website introduces the story with a warning: “The enemy isn’t always outside the wire.”
The book draws on Gary’s professional background to create a fictional thriller set against the danger and complexity of Iraq. Readers interested in the experiences behind that setting can hear directly from the man whose career helped inform it.
Remembering the Father Behind the Story
At the center of this episode is Harold Edgington.
Before the investigations, counterterrorism assignments, deployment, and book, there was a father talking with his son about police training before leaving for work.
Gary’s remembrance includes a simple, devastating sentence:
“When I arrived, I was told he was gone.”
That loss is the starting point for a conversation about family, service, and continuing in a profession after experiencing its consequences at home.
Listen to This Special Episode
His police officer father was murdered while he was in the academy. Hear Gary Edgington tell the story of what happened, and the life of service that followed. Listen to the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for more conversations about service, trauma, leadership and recovery. His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode
Listen to the special episode of Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Listeners can also find Law Enforcement Talk on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, explore the show on YouTube, and follow its updates on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Listen to the Free Podcast from the National Radio Show and Share It. Help someone else discover Gary’s story, and remember Patrolman Harold L. Edgington.
Visit His Website at Gary Edgington Author to learn more about his speaking.
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
The show’s Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels offer additional stories and episode updates. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for episode updates.
Share this story with someone who values an honest conversation about police work, or someone discovering that the end of one mission can be the beginning of another, regardless of where they started.
His Police Officer Father Was Murdered While He Was in the Academy: His Story. Special Episode
Attributions
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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40 min
Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge
Episode 876
Show notes
Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge. Hollywood can end a police story when the chase stops. For the officer who lived it, the story may continue for decades. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Retired San Antonio Police Officer Kevin Coble understands that difference. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
During his career, he responded to an incident in which three people were killed with a motor vehicle. He also initiated a pursuit that he later discontinued, before the truck involved subsequently crashed in a fatal collision. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
These were real events with consequences that could not be resolved in a final scene. They remained part of his experience throughout his career.
His story offers a starting point for examining Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True, and understanding the judgment, responsibility and emotional weight behind the badge.
Myth: Every Police Story Has a Clear Ending
A television investigation often follows a familiar pattern: a crime occurs, detectives disagree, evidence emerges and the case reaches a satisfying conclusion.
Real police work does not always provide that sense of closure.
For Coble, responding to an incident involving three people killed with a vehicle became a lasting memory. The immediate response ended, but its impact continued.
That distinction matters. Completing an assignment does not necessarily mean an officer has finished processing what happened. The paperwork, investigation and personal aftermath can follow very different timelines. Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
An audience sees a scene. An officer carries the memory.
Myth: A Police Chase Is Just About Catching Someone
On screen, a pursuit provides speed, suspense and a dramatic finish. The focus is usually on whether the officer catches the fleeing driver.
Coble’s experience raises a more difficult question: What happens when an officer decides to stop pursuing?
He describes a chase he initiated and later discontinued. The truck involved subsequently crashed, and the collision was fatal.
That sequence deserves careful attention. A pursuit that has been discontinued should not be described as though it remained underway at the moment of the crash.
It also illustrates why real incidents require more precision than an action sequence. Decisions unfold over time, circumstances change, and the eventual outcome can remain with an officer long after the emergency ends.
Myth: Police Work Is Mostly Action
Hollywood favors confrontation because it moves a story forward. Judgment is harder to dramatize.
Yet Coble’s work as a speaker centers on subjects such as police discretion, leadership, mentorship and second chances. Those themes reveal a side of service that receives less screen time: deciding how to respond, when to intervene and how to exercise authority responsibly.
The most meaningful decision in an officer’s day may produce no dramatic footage at all.
A conversation, an act of restraint or a chance to guide someone toward a better choice can matter deeply without resembling a movie scene. Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
Myth: The Uniform Tells the Whole Story
Coble’s background extends well beyond his years with the San Antonio Police Department.
His experience includes nearly 11 years in the U.S. Air Force Security Police, 26 years with San Antonio police and eight years teaching high school students.
Those roles placed him in different environments, but each involved responsibility for other people.
As a military member, police officer and Teacher, he encountered different ways to lead, mentor and serve. His perspective comes from the military, the streets and the classroom.
He brings those experiences together through “Three Uniforms. One Mission.”tm
The phrase reflects a central thread in his story: service can continue even when the role changes.
Myth: Retirement Means the Mission Is Over
For people whose identity has been closely connected to a uniform, retirement can raise a question that goes beyond employment. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Coble challenges audiences to consider:
“What happens when one mission ends?”
His answer gives his work a clear direction:
“I’m not finished serving. I’ve just changed the way I do it.”
Teaching and public speaking became additional ways to put his experience to work. His presentations explore purpose, leadership, judgment and life after the uniform, subjects that reach beyond law enforcement. Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge.
A veteran, a retiring first responder, a Teacher or someone facing a career transition may recognize the same question: How can past experience support the next chapter?
Looking Beyond the Hollywood Version
A fictional police drama can entertain. It cannot fully explain a profession or the people who serve in it.
The same care applies to Social Media. A short clip on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube may introduce an incident without explaining everything that happened before or afterward. A discussion on LinkedIn can raise useful questions, while a longer Podcast conversation creates space to explore decisions and consequences in greater depth. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Coble’s story invites audiences to look beyond the most dramatic moment.
His experiences involve lives lost, difficult decisions and memories that endured. They also include mentorship, second chances and the possibility of finding a new purpose after a long career.
Understanding Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True begins with making room for that complexity.
Hear Kevin Coble’s Story
Kevin Coble’s conversation on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast explores his police career, two incidents that stayed with him and the difference between an on-screen story and lived experience.
Listen to the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for more conversations about service, trauma, leadership and recovery.
Visit Kevin’s Website at https://www.kevincoble.com/ to learn more about his speaking and “Three Uniforms. One Mission.”
Share this story with someone who values an honest conversation about police work, or someone discovering that the end of one mission can be the beginning of another, regardless of where they started.
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
The show’s Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels offer additional stories and episode updates. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for episode updates.
Myths About Police That Hollywood Tells That Are Not True: His Life Wearing the Badge.
Attributions
Google
Wikipedia
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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37 min
His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery.
Episode 875
Show notes
His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery. Special Episode. The gunfight ended. For Phoenix Police Officer Chris Hoyer, the struggle continued. His partner, Officer David Glasser, had been shot. Hoyer returned fire during the confrontation, surviving the encounter that would claim his fellow officer’s life. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
What followed was an aftermath that could not be resolved by securing a crime scene or completing an investigation. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
There was grief. There was trauma. There was survivor’s guilt. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
In a Special Episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, retired Phoenix Police Officer Chris Hoyer discusses the ambush, the loss of his partner and his journey toward recovery. He also remembers something the violence could never erase: Glasser’s habit of telling the people around him, “love you.”
A Burglary Call Became a Deadly Ambush
On May 18, 2016, Officer David Glasser and his squadmates from the Phoenix Police Department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team responded to a residential burglary call.
When officers arrived, a 19-year-old suspect concealed in a van opened fire.
Glasser was critically wounded. Hoyer engaged the suspect in a gunfight, during which the gunman was shot and killed. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Glasser was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. He died the following morning, May 19.
For the officers who served beside him, the loss was deeply personal. A colleague who had shared their work, their conversations and their daily routines would never return to the squad room.
For Hoyer, being there when his partner was shot added another dimension to that grief. He had confronted the threat, but he could not change the outcome. His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery. Special Episode. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
His Police Partner Was Killed, and Survival Brought More Trauma
The public often encounters police shootings through brief News reports: a location, an exchange of gunfire, an officer wounded or killed.
Hoyer’s account begins where those reports frequently end.
In the episode, he discusses how the trauma of the shooting and survivor’s guilt affected his mental health. His experience illustrates a difficult reality: an officer can respond to a deadly threat and still suffer profoundly afterward.
Survival did not mean the experience was behind him.
His police partner was killed, and Hoyer had to find a way to live with both the loss and his own experience of the confrontation. Recovery became another part of the story, one less visible than the gunfight, but essential to understanding its consequences.
By discussing that aftermath, Hoyer brings attention to the people who remain after a line-of-duty death: partners, squadmates, families and friends whose lives have also changed. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
David Glasser’s Legacy: “Love You”
One of the most meaningful details about David Glasser’s life has nothing to do with how he died.
He wanted the people he cared about to know they were loved.
Instead of simply saying “goodbye,” he regularly said, “love you.” He backed those words with the way he treated others.
The habit spread.
Even among his fellow officers, those words became part of leaving the squad room. Colleagues said them, or called them out, to one another before heading away.
After his death, that familiar expression carried new weight.
“Love you” became a reminder of his presence, his affection and the relationships he had built. Those who knew him were left with the pain of his absence, but also with words he had made sure they heard.
Remembering Glasser through that habit keeps the focus on the person behind the badge. His life was larger than the attack that ended it.
Turning Experience Into When That Day Comes: Training for the Fight
Hoyer’s experiences helped inspire his nonfiction book, When That Day Comes: Training for the Fight, edited by Natalie June Reilly.
The title introduces a question that runs through his story: What does preparation really require?
In the interview, Hoyer discusses physical readiness, mental toughness and emotional grounding. He also addresses the accumulated stress of police work and the challenges that may emerge after a critical incident. His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Drawing on more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, he connects survival training with the broader demands of surviving a career.
That includes what happens after the immediate danger passes.
His discussion of recovery gives the book’s title another dimension. “That day” may involve a confrontation an officer has trained to face. Its consequences may also require support and preparation that extend well beyond the scene.
First Responder Wellness Beyond the Headlines
Hoyer’s story makes room for a conversation about first responder wellness that includes grief, accumulated trauma and the difficulty of moving forward.
He discusses the toll the experience took on him and how his recovery now informs his efforts to help others.
His account does not turn a devastating loss into an easy lesson. Glasser’s death remains a tragedy. Hoyer’s work offers a way to honor his partner while sharing experiences that may help someone else prepare for trauma or recognize the importance of recovery.
For families and colleagues, the episode also offers a chance to listen more closely to what surviving an incident can mean.
An officer’s ability to act during an emergency tells only part of the story. Understanding the aftermath requires hearing what happened afterward, too. Follow the show’s social media on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for episode updates and more firsthand stories.
An Arizona Story With Meaning Far Beyond Phoenix
The shooting happened in Phoenix, Arizona, but the questions Hoyer raises reach far beyond one department.
Now residing in Southern California, his focus is across the country, his account offers a personal perspective on partner loss, trauma and recovery.
For listeners outside law enforcement, it provides context that a short News update cannot capture. It introduces the friendship behind the loss and the emotional consequences behind the incident report.
That wider understanding matters. Police officers are also spouses, parents, friends and colleagues. The effects of a critical incident can reach into every one of those relationships. His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery. Special Episode.
Hoyer’s willingness to discuss his experience gives those realities a voice.
A Special Episode Worth Hearing and Sharing
This Special Episode brings together the story of an officer who was killed and the partner who survived.
It remembers David Glasser through his service and his insistence on saying “love you.” It also follows Chris Hoyer into the difficult aftermath: the trauma, survivor’s guilt and process of recovery that helped shape his next purpose. Listeners can find the free podcast through the show’s website and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms.
Sharing the conversation through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn can introduce that perspective to people who might otherwise encounter only the headline.
A fellow officer may recognize part of the experience. A family member may better understand a loved one’s burden. A civilian listener may hear, perhaps for the first time, what continues after the shooting stops.
Listen to Chris Hoyer on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast
Retired Phoenix Police Officer Chris Hoyer shares his account of the gunfight, the murder of his partner and the recovery journey that inspired When That Day Comes: Training for the Fight.
Hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn for episode updates.
Please listen and share this Special Episode. Help keep Officer David Glasser’s memory alive, and help bring attention to the people living with the aftermath of trauma.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
The show’s Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels offer additional stories and episode updates. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
His Police Partner Was Killed: A Journey Through Trauma, Survivor’s Guilt and Recovery. Special Episode.
Attributions
Amazon
Google
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
39 min
The Miracle A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life
Episode 874
Show notes
The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life. He was alone in a remote Montana cabin, severely injured and losing blood. His phone and vehicle keys were on scaffolding 16 feet above him. Getting to a hospital would require an extraordinary fight for survival. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
A construction project became a life-threatening emergency in an instant. Chad Stock is our guest. While working alone at a cabin near Marion in Northwest Montana, Chad suffered a devastating table saw injury to his right arm. No coworker stood nearby. No one was immediately available to call for help. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Even the things that could connect him to rescue, his phone and truck keys, were out of reach. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
What followed became known as The Marion Miracle, a story of survival, faith, and determination that Stock now shares as a motivational speaker.
In the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Stock discusses the accident, the difficult recovery that followed, and the lessons he hopes others will learn before their own unexpected crisis arrives.
Alone, Injured, and Far From Help
Remote construction work presents a challenge that can be easy to overlook during an ordinary workday: when something goes wrong, help may be a long way away.
For Stock, that concern became immediate and personal.
A table saw accident had left him with a catastrophic injury. He needed medical attention, but first he had to find a way to leave the cabin. The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
His phone and vehicle keys were on scaffolding approximately 16 feet above him. Reaching them, while severely injured, became a crucial part of his effort to survive.
He eventually retrieved the items and drove himself to the hospital.
His experience illustrates how quickly a familiar task can become an emergency, and how isolation can make every obstacle harder to overcome.
“Experience Does Not Make You Invincible”
One of the central messages Stock shares today is direct:
“Experience does not make you invincible.”
It is a lesson with particular relevance for contractors, tradespeople, business owners, and anyone who regularly works around equipment. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
Experience helps people recognize hazards and develop skills. It does not eliminate risk.
A task performed successfully many times can still go wrong. A familiar workplace can still become the setting for a life-changing injury.
Stock’s story encourages audiences to consider questions that busy workdays can push aside: Is a phone accessible? Does someone know where the work is happening? Has the possibility of an emergency been considered before the job begins?
For employers and safety teams, his experience gives those questions a human face.
Behind every safety discussion is a person with relationships, responsibilities, and plans for tomorrow. The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life.
Table Saw Injuries Can Change a Life
Stock’s experience is extraordinary, but serious table saw injuries are a documented safety concern.
A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study estimated 26,500 emergency department-treated table saw blade-contact injuries in 2017. That estimate concerns blade-contact injuries specifically, rather than every type of incident associated with a table saw.
The numbers provide context. Stock’s story reveals the personal consequences: a medical emergency, an uncertain recovery, and a future that suddenly looked different.
His message asks listeners to give familiar equipment the attention and respect its risks deserve.
Surviving Was Only the Beginning
Reaching medical care did not bring an immediate return to the life Stock had known.
Recovery challenged him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Progress required patience, perseverance, faith, and support from people around him. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
For someone accustomed to working with his hands, a serious arm injury affected more than the ability to complete a construction project. It changed everyday routines and raised difficult questions about what came next.
Stock’s story gives space to that part of survival.
The emergency may end, but the work of rebuilding can continue long afterward. Pain, uncertainty, and changed expectations can test a person repeatedly. The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life.
Through that process, Stock developed a renewed appreciation for life, family, relationships, and purpose.
Today, those experiences shape the encouragement he offers others facing hardship.
Three Essential Tools for Facing Adversity
Stock organizes his message around three essential tools people need in their personal “shed”: mental, physical, and spiritual preparedness. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Mental Preparedness
Stock emphasizes the ability to focus, assess a difficult situation, and make decisions under pressure.
His experience highlights the importance of continuing to look for a possible next step when circumstances feel overwhelming.
For his audiences, that lesson extends beyond emergencies. Recovery, professional setbacks, and personal loss can also demand sustained mental determination.
Physical Preparedness
During his fight for survival, physical strength helped Stock respond to the obstacles in front of him.
His message encourages people to consider how physical readiness can support them when life changes unexpectedly.
That readiness is one part of his broader approach to preparation, alongside awareness and respect for risk.
Spiritual Preparedness
Faith is central to Stock’s account of The Marion Miracle.
He describes spiritual preparation as a foundation for hope, courage, and perseverance during traumatic circumstances.
His belief that his survival carried a purpose helped shape the direction he took afterward. Sharing his story became a way to encourage others through their own struggles. The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life. Follow the show’s social media on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for episode updates and more firsthand stories.
Together, these three tools form the foundation of his speaking message.
From Construction Work to Motivational Speaker
Stock now brings The Marion Miracle to businesses, leadership teams, schools, churches, safety organizations, and nonprofit groups.
His work as a motivational speaker connects an extraordinary survival experience with practical questions about preparation, leadership, relationships, and resilience.
The motivation behind his message comes from what he endured and what recovery required of him.
He is also writing a book about his experience, expanding the story beyond the accident itself to explore the life and lessons surrounding it.
His purpose is reflected in a statement he shared in a published account:
“I just want to encourage other people to get up and keep moving forward, no matter what life hands you.”
Hear Chad Stock’s Story on the Podcast
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast features people whose lives have been changed by extraordinary experiences.
Chad Stock’s episode explores the remote construction accident that almost claimed his life, his faith, and the difficult work of moving forward.
Listeners can find the free podcast through the show’s website and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms.
The show’s Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels offer additional stories and episode updates. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
More information about Stock’s story and speaking work is available at https://www.themarionmiracle.com/.
Listen to the free episode and share it with someone who works alone, leads a team, or needs encouragement through a difficult season. Chad’s story may give them a reason to prepare differently today and keep moving forward tomorrow.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
The Miracle, A Remote Location Construction Accident Almost Claimed His Life.
Attributions
Google
Wikipedia
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
40 min
Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey
Episode 873
Show notes
Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode. He was a police officer who had been kicked in the head by a Clydesdale horse, suffering multiple injuries. It was an unusual incident with consequences that would reach far beyond the immediate medical emergency. His condition continued to deteriorate. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Her husband’s injury changed their future. Her experience may help another family prepare for a future they never expected. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
The injury ended his police career. For his family, it began a difficult period involving medical concerns, disputes with the city and workers’ compensation, retirement, and unexpected expenses. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Joan Van De Griek shares her family’s traumatic brain injury journey, and how her financial experience helped protect them when their lives changed. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Joan Van De Griek initially believed her husband’s injury would heal.
On the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Joan shares that experience: what happened to her husband, how it affected their family, and how her financial background and decisions helped keep them from financial ruin.
The episode’s description captures its central subject: “Traumatic Brain Injury for Police Officer. Family and Life After.” Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
That “life after” is where much of Joan’s story unfolds.
An Unexpected Injury With Permanent Consequences
The dangers of police work are often associated with shootings, assaults, and vehicle crashes. Joan’s husband experienced a different kind of incident, a horse kick to the head.
At first, she believed the injuries would be temporary. As his condition worsened, the family faced a reality they had not anticipated.
A traumatic brain injury diagnosis changed their understanding of what had happened. His eventual retirement changed their plans for the future.
For readers exploring freak accidents in police work, the financial crisis, and a family’s TBI journey, Joan’s account brings those subjects together through one household’s experience.
An unusual accident can still carry devastating consequences. Its rarity offers little comfort to the family navigating them.
Why Brain Injuries Can Be Difficult to Recognize
Joan’s initial expectation that her husband would recover makes the later diagnosis an important part of her account. Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
More broadly, the CDC explains that symptoms of mild TBI and concussion can appear immediately or emerge hours or days later. They may affect thinking, emotions, sleep, and physical functioning. Symptoms can also be overlooked or confused with other health problems. This general information does not establish the severity or specific symptoms of Joan’s husband’s injury.
That distinction matters. Every injured person has an individual medical history, and Joan’s interview provides her family’s experience rather than a diagnosis readers should apply to themselves.
Her account highlights how a family’s understanding of an injury can change as its effects become clearer.
What Research Shows About TBI in Police Officers
Research supports taking head injuries in law enforcement seriously.
A University of Exeter survey of serving frontline officers in England, Scotland, and Wales reported a 38% lifetime prevalence of TBI, compared with a cited general-population estimate of 12%. These figures concern lifetime injuries, including those sustained outside police duties; they are not a measure of the percentage of officers injured at work.
The study also found that officers reporting multiple TBIs experienced greater difficulties with cognitive and physical symptoms and more severe problems affecting daily life. Because it was a cross-sectional survey, it identifies associations rather than proving that TBI caused every reported difficulty. Its findings should not be treated as a universal rate for all police departments.
Joan’s story gives a personal dimension to that broader concern. Behind a diagnosis is a household trying to understand what has changed and what comes next.
The Family’s Life Changed Along With His Career
A career-ending injury affects more than employment.
For Joan and her husband, the consequences included changes to their family life, future plans, and financial expectations. The police career they had expected to continue ended in retirement.
Their experience also involved battles with the city and workers’ compensation. Those disputes became another responsibility during an already demanding period. Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
The supplied description of Joan’s interview emphasizes “the long term effects on the family.”
That focus is essential. Medical treatment, employment decisions, household expenses, and family responsibilities do not arrive as separate, neatly timed problems. Families may have to address them together.
Joan’s account keeps attention on that lived reality.
The Financial Pressure They Had Not Expected
Unexpected expenses placed substantial strain on the family.
According to Joan’s account, her financial experience and the actions she took helped protect them from the devastating impact of those costs.
The significance of that experience is clear without assuming details she has not provided. Her story does not establish a particular insurance strategy, investment decision, settlement, or benefit amount. The interview offers listeners the opportunity to hear what she did and why it mattered.
Her experience raises practical questions for other first responder households:
What income would remain if an injury prevented the officer from working?
Which benefits apply, and what requirements or limits do they carry?
How would the household manage unexpected expenses during a prolonged recovery?
Who understands the family’s finances well enough to make decisions during a crisis?
These are questions to investigate before a household is forced to answer them under pressure.
Workers’ Compensation Requires Careful Attention
Workers’ compensation is part of Joan’s story, but benefit rules should not be generalized from one family’s experience.
The U.S. Department of Labor explains that workers’ compensation for state and local government employees is administered at the state level. The applicable jurisdiction and program therefore matter when assessing an officer’s protections.
Joan describes disputes and expenses within her family’s circumstances. Her experience illustrates why understanding the relevant benefits, and obtaining accurate answers about them—can become an important part of navigating a career-ending injury. Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
A family needs concrete information about its own situation, rather than an assumption that every expense or income loss will be covered.
Turning Experience Into Help for Other Families
Joan now uses her experience to help other first responder families protect themselves financially.
Her perspective combines financial knowledge with firsthand experience of a police career ending unexpectedly.
She understands why a family might initially expect an injury to heal. She also understands how medical uncertainty, retirement, and expenses can change the household’s future.
Her story offers first responders and their spouses a reason to discuss financial preparedness together. It also gives colleagues and agency leaders a closer view of the pressures a family may face after the immediate incident has passed.
Listen to Joan Van De Griek’s TBI Journey
Joan’s appearance on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast explores the horse kick that injured her husband, his deteriorating condition, the eventual TBI diagnosis, and the retirement that followed.
She also discusses the impact on their family, the battles over benefits, and the financial experience that helped them avoid ruin.
Listen to the free podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Follow the show’s social media on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for episode updates and more firsthand stories.
Please listen and share Joan’s story with a first responder, spouse, or family member who would benefit from hearing it.
Her husband’s injury changed their future. Her experience may help another family prepare for a future they never expected.
Listeners can hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow the show’s Social Media on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for episode updates and more stories from its guests.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Freak Accidents In Police Work, the Financial Crisis and their TBI Journey. Special Episode.
Attributions
Google
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
38 min
Police Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story.
Episode 872
Show notes
Police Officer Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story of Survival and Returning to Service. An operation in Chihuahua, Mexico, changed Roberto Ortiz’s life forever. A vehicle was deliberately driven into his police team at high speed. The attack left him critically injured, with catastrophic wounds that cost him both legs above the knee. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
He lost a tremendous amount of blood. For approximately seven days, he remained in a coma. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Surviving the attack was the beginning of a long recovery. Hospital treatment, a year in a wheelchair, and years of rehabilitation and prosthetic training followed. Eventually, the former police commander returned to professional service. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Today, Ortiz serves as an Intelligence Coordinator with the State Attorney General’s Office. He also shares his experience as a motivational speaker known as Roberto Ortiz REVIXI.
His story, featured on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, reaches far beyond the moment of the attack. It examines the violence officers face, the lasting cost of catastrophic injuries, and the family support that helped him rebuild his life.
A Criminal Attack With Permanent Consequences
The vehicle attack took place during an operation. Its consequences were immediate and irreversible: Ortiz became a bilateral amputee, losing both legs above the knee. Police Officer Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story of Survival and Returning to Service. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
The supplied account describes substantial hospital treatment following his coma. Once that initial care ended, the work of recovery continued.
His biography summarizes that journey: “Roberto rebuilt his life and returned to active professional service.”
Those words describe an outcome that took years to achieve. Before returning to service, Ortiz spent approximately a year in a wheelchair and underwent extensive rehabilitation and training with prosthetic legs.
A return to work could not erase the injuries. It meant finding a way to carry out a professional role while living with their permanent effects.
A Year in a Wheelchair, and Years of Learning Again
Ortiz’s experience gives listeners a view of recovery beyond a hospital discharge.
The attack occurred on a single day. Rehabilitation became a continuing commitment. His account includes the physical work of adapting to prosthetic legs, the mental strength required to keep going, and the financial difficulties associated with those prosthetics. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
These details matter because a story of survival can otherwise sound complete once someone returns home or goes back to work. Ortiz’s story makes clear that rebuilding a life takes longer.
The description supplied for his interview calls it: “The relentless battle to rebuild a life, one day at a time.”
That process remains central to the message he shares. His return to professional service is a significant achievement, while his continuing challenges are also part of the story.
Family as His Greatest Source of Strength
Ortiz speaks about faith, courage, leadership, and mental strength. At the center of his recovery is his family.
His interview description identifies family as “his greatest source of strength.”
That emphasis brings a personal dimension to an incident that could otherwise be described only through injuries and an operational timeline. Behind the former commander and intelligence professional is a man rebuilding his daily life with the support of people closest to him.
His story offers an opportunity to hear how family and faith fit into that process, alongside rehabilitation and professional purpose.
For first responders and their loved ones, those themes may be especially meaningful. A critical incident affects the injured person and the people who share the recovery with them. Police Officer Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story of Survival and Returning to Service. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Mexican Policing, Cartel Violence, and the Loss of Fellow Officers
Ortiz’s interview also explores his career before and after the attack.
He discusses what prompted him to become a police officer, the violence Mexican officers face, especially from cartels, and the loss of fellow officers during his law enforcement career.
His account brings an individual perspective to subjects often discussed through headlines and statistics. The danger has a personal history for Ortiz: colleagues lost, permanent injuries sustained, and a career that continued in a different role.
He also addresses perceptions of police corruption in Mexico. That subject deserves careful attention to his own experience and perspective, without assuming that one officer’s story represents every agency or community.
Together, these topics give the conversation depth. Listeners hear about his reasons for entering policing, the threats he encountered, and the work he returned to after his injuries.
The Financial Challenges of Prosthetic Legs
One of the most practical subjects Ortiz discusses is the financial difficulty he faces with his prosthetic legs.
That detail adds an essential part of the recovery story. Prosthetic training helped him move forward, but obtaining and maintaining the equipment he relies on presents challenges of its own. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
His account invites listeners to consider what happens after the immediate emergency has passed. Permanent injuries can bring continuing needs, and a return to professional service does not make those needs disappear.
For Ortiz, the story includes both the achievement of returning to work and the realities of living as a bilateral amputee.
A Return to Service and a New Platform for His Story
The former police commander now serves as an Intelligence Coordinator with the State Attorney General’s Office in Chihuahua. Through motivational speaking, he also uses his experience to discuss resilience, leadership, faith, family, and the realities first responders face after critical incidents.
His biography describes his focus as: “Resilience, courage, leadership, faith, family, mental strength.”
Each theme connects to a part of the experience he shares: surviving the attack, adapting to permanent injuries, accepting support, and rebuilding a professional life.
The power of his story lies in those concrete details. Seven days in a coma. A year in a wheelchair. Years of rehabilitation. A return to service.
Listen to Roberto Ortiz’s Story
For anyone searching for “Police Lost His Legs due to Crime” or “Mexican Cop Shares His Story,” Roberto Ortiz’s interview provides the human story behind those words. Police Officer Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story of Survival and Returning to Service. It is available through the website and on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast explores the attack, his recovery, the dangers of Mexican policing, and the strength he found through family and faith.
Listeners can hear the free Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow the show’s Social Media on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for episode updates and more stories from its guests.
Roberto Ortiz survived a criminal attack that permanently changed his life. His journey back to professional service deserves to be heard.Listen to the free Podcast from the nationally syndicated radio show, and share Roberto’s story with someone who needs to hear it.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Be sure to follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
Listeners can find the free podcast through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for episode updates and guest stories.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Police Officer Lost His Legs Due to Crime: Mexican Cop Shares His Story of Survival and Returning to Service.
Attributions
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
39 min
A Shooting where many Police were Killed
Episode 871
Show notes
A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method. Five Police Officers Shot, Three Killed: Tammy Ward’s Hidden Struggle Behind “I’m Fine”. After the Moncton shooting in Canada, retired RCMP Sergeant Tammy Ward helped lead a grieving police team. Behind her composed appearance, she was struggling, and the running she used to cope eventually came at a serious physical cost. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Five police officers were shot. Three never came home. Tammy Ward was off duty, just around the corner. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
The June 4, 2014, attack in Moncton, New Brunswick, shattered a community and devastated members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. For Ward, the aftermath brought leadership responsibilities, more heartbreaking losses, and a private struggle that others could not necessarily see. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
She appeared to be managing. She kept going. But the image she projected did not reflect what was happening inside.
As a guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, retired RCMP Sergeant Tammy Ward discusses the shooting, the losses that followed, and her reliance on exercise, particularly running, to cope with stress. A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Her story also examines what can happen when a coping routine becomes another way to keep distress hidden.
At the center of her message are two familiar words: “I’m fine.”
The Moncton Shooting: A Police Team Changed Forever
On June 4, 2014, an armed man targeted RCMP officers in Moncton, Canada. Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, Douglas Larche, and David Ross were killed. Constables Eric Dubois and Darlene Goguen were wounded.
The RCMP’s official review records approximately 29 hours between the first emergency call and the attacker’s apprehension. For the officers, their families, and the surrounding community, the consequences extended far beyond the manhunt. A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method.
Ward describes being nearby and off duty when the shooting occurred.
In the days that followed, she was asked to help lead the watch of the unit that had lost three officers.
That assignment placed her in a difficult position: helping a devastated team continue its work while carrying her own response to the tragedy.
Her ability to connect with people mattered. According to her professional biography, the inspector kept her in the role because people spoke openly with her. Compassion was part of how she helped the team function during an extraordinarily painful time. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
More Losses Followed
In her account on the podcast, Ward describes another devastating loss just 12 days after the shooting: a friend who was a retired police officer died by suicide.
Approximately three months later, an active-duty officer also died by suicide.
These were separate losses, each carrying its own grief. Her account does not establish why those officers died, but it reveals how much pain she was carrying in a short period of time.
She continued to present herself as okay. Privately, she was not.
That gap between outward composure and inner distress became central to the message she would eventually share beyond policing.
“I’m Fine”: The Other F Word
Ward calls “fine” “The Other F Word.”
The phrase captures a response that can end a conversation before an honest one begins. Someone asks how a colleague is doing. The colleague says they are fine. Both move on, while the difficult truth remains unspoken.
For Ward, this is more than a speaking topic. It connects directly to her experience of looking capable while struggling underneath.
In policing, a person may be supporting colleagues, responding to calls, and meeting responsibilities while still needing help. Visible competence does not reveal everything about someone’s emotional condition. A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Her work now encourages people to communicate more openly and gives leaders practical language for responding when someone does speak up.
One distinction in her message is especially clear: talk “TO a person,” rather than “ABOUT the person.”
The emphasis is on human connection, making room for a truthful answer and responding with care when it arrives.
Running Became Her Coping Method
For Ward, coping involved physical fitness, especially running. Movement was already familiar. Before her police career, she taught classical ballet and jazz, beginning at age 19. She studied dance in England and helped pay her way through university by teaching.
After the Moncton tragedy and subsequent losses, she turned to running to manage stress. In the podcast conversation, she describes how that reliance was accompanied by dangerous weight loss and unexpected deterioration in her health.
What appeared from the outside to be a commitment to exercise was part of a much more complicated struggle. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Her experience raises a difficult question: what happens when a person keeps pushing physically while continuing to hide how much they are hurting?
Ward’s story offers a personal account of that problem. Running was her coping method, but the physical cost became another sign that she was not fine. A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method.
When Discipline Conceals Distress
Ward had spent years in a demanding profession. Continuing to function and helping others were familiar responsibilities.
Following the shooting, those responsibilities existed alongside grief and stress. Her outward presentation made it possible for others to see a capable leader without seeing the full extent of her struggle.
That is one reason her account matters to people beyond law enforcement. A busy schedule, steady work performance, or demanding fitness routine can offer only a partial picture of someone’s life.
For Ward, acknowledging that partial picture became part of finding a way forward. She describes having to develop resilience to save her own life. Her message today links resilience with honest communication and meaningful support, rather than leaving people alone behind a reassuring answer. It is available through the website and on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.Twenty-Four Years of Service Across Canada
Ward served 24 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Her assignments across Canada included general duty, major crime, domestic violence, and community relations.
Those roles brought her into contact with people facing some of their hardest moments. They also gave her experience of the pressures carried by the officers responding to them.
Her path from dance teacher to police sergeant, and later to speaker, connects several parts of her story: physical discipline, public service, leadership, and communication.
After retiring from the RCMP, she began bringing her lived experience to audiences through speaking and workshops. Her work focuses on mental wellness, resilience, and helping people find words for difficult conversations. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Compassion Has a Place in Leadership
Ward’s experience leading the fallen officers’ watch offers a powerful example of why connection matters within a team. People talked to her. In the aftermath of a deadly attack, that trust had practical value. It gave grieving officers someone they could approach while the team faced the work of continuing.
Today her speaking focuses on how leaders can become more confident in conversations about mental wellness and to help replace stigma with support.
The lesson running through her story is straightforward: a team needs room for people to say how they are actually doing. The words “I’m fine” should not be the only answer someone feels able to give.
Hear Tammy Ward’s Story on the Podcast
On the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and podcast Tammy discusses the Moncton shooting, the grief that followed, and the running routine she used while concealing her distress.
Her experience speaks to police officers, first responders, military veterans, families, leaders, and anyone who has maintained a composed appearance while struggling privately. A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Listeners can find the free podcast through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for episode updates and guest stories.
Listen to Tammy Ward’s conversation and share it with someone who needs to hear that they can speak honestly about how they are doing. Her story may also help a colleague, friend, or family member recognize the importance of listening beyond a quick reassurance.
Learn more about Tammy’s speaking and workshops at her website.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
A Shooting where many Police were Killed, and the Coping Method.
Attributions
Wikipedia
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
41 min
He was a Drug Smuggler Then DEA Informant
Episode 870
Show notes
He was a Drug Smuggler Then DEA Informant, The Inside Story. He Was a Drug Smuggler: The Inside Story and Book Behind his Double Life. Childhood tragedy, international drug shipments, the threat of decades in prison, and two years cooperating with the DEA, Ken Behr shares his journey through South Florida’s smuggling world. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Ken Behr once helped move the drugs federal investigators were trying to stop. Later, he became a confidential informant for the DEA, helping investigators pursue trafficking networks he understood from the inside. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
The transition came after years of criminal activity, multiple arrests, and the prospect of spending decades behind bars. Before any of that, Behr was a child dealing with family deaths and trauma, experiences that form an important part of the story he tells today. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
As a guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Behr discusses his progression from teenage marijuana dealer to international drug smuggler, his decision to cooperate with federal authorities, and life afterward.
His book, One Step Over the Line: Confessions of a Marijuana Mercenary, explores that journey at greater length. He was a drug smuggler. The inside story and book trace how his involvement grew, what it cost him, and why he eventually agreed to switch sides. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Childhood Loss Before a Life in Drugs
Behr’s account begins well before the boats, aircraft, and international shipments.
He describes experiencing family deaths when he was young and carrying the effects of those losses into adolescence. Childhood trauma forms part of the background to his involvement with drugs.
Those experiences provide context for his story. They also raise questions about how grief, environment, and personal decisions can intersect during a young person’s development.
“Just a 1970s kid selling drugs out of my mom’s house.”
According to his account, his involvement eventually grew into a criminal life lasting more than 22 years. Small transactions gave way to larger quantities, wider connections, and increasingly serious exposure to prosecution. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
His story follows a progression that took place over years. Each expansion brought him further into a business that would eventually threaten his freedom.
From Teenage Dealer to International Drug Smuggler
Behr describes moving from street-level dealing into large-scale trafficking and transportation.
His account includes unloading aircraft, working around covert runways in the Everglades, moving thousands of pounds of marijuana, and participating in operations involving Canada, Jamaica, Colombia, and the Bahamas.
The scale of those activities differed dramatically from his early involvement.
A teenager making small sales and an adult participating in international shipments occupy very different positions. By the time large loads and aircraft entered the story, his activities involved people and interests far beyond his original circle. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
“Moving tons of weed and thousands of pounds of Cocaine.”
That growth is central to understanding the consequences.
Larger operations meant more connections, more coordination, and more people whose decisions could affect his future. They also brought greater criminal exposure.
For listeners, one of the interview’s most compelling questions is how early involvement with drugs became a life organized around moving them.
South Florida Beyond the Miami Headlines
For many people, the words Miami drug scene bring to mind conspicuous wealth, speedboats, expensive cars, and the violence associated with the cocaine era.
Behr’s story reaches beyond that familiar image.
He describes a trafficking world connected through coastal waterways, aircraft, remote landing areas, and international routes. Miami was a focal point, but the operations he recounts extended across South Florida and into other countries.
His perspective comes from participating in that world.
Rather than offering a complete history of every organization, Behr shares what he says he saw and did. His account gives listeners a personal view of the people handling the transportation and movement of drugs. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
That distinction matters. A participant’s recollections can provide valuable detail while remaining one perspective within a much larger history.
The Fast Life and Its Growing Consequences
The lifestyle Behr describes could look glamorous from a distance. “Cigarette boats, racing cars, and Learjets.”
Those images suggest money, movement, and access. They help explain why stories about the smuggling era continue to attract attention.
He said he was “Just hanging on for dear life.”
The contrast reveals the direction of his story. What appeared exciting eventually became a situation dominated by consequences and survival.
Repeated arrests made the risk of imprisonment increasingly difficult to ignore. The operations that expanded his world also brought him closer to losing control over his future.
His account invites listeners to examine the attraction of that lifestyle alongside the danger it carried.
The boats and aircraft are memorable. The threat of a long prison sentence is what makes the eventual decision to cooperate understandable.
The Historical Backdrop of the Miami Drug Era
South Florida’s expanding drug trade brought violence and a major federal response.
The DEA’s historical account describes rising crime during the trafficking boom and records the creation of the South Florida Task Force in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan. The response brought additional federal personnel, military participation in interdiction, and greater attention to financial investigations and money laundering. It is available through the website and on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
For investigators, the challenge extended beyond individual shipments to the organizations and finances supporting them.
For people participating in trafficking, arrests could lead to decisions affecting their freedom and their relationships with others in the business.
Behr’s account brings those pressures into the same narrative.
The historical setting explains why the investigations mattered. His personal experience helps explain what agreeing to assist investigators could mean for someone already involved.
Facing Decades in Prison
After multiple arrests, Behr says he faced a serious racketeering case and the prospect of decades behind bars. “Facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison.”
At that point, cooperation with the DEA offered a different path.
He agreed to become a confidential informant, also described as a cooperating source.
The decision changed his relationship with the drug world. Knowledge and connections acquired through criminal activity could now become useful to investigators pursuing trafficking networks.
It also introduced another kind of pressure.
The people he knew did not necessarily know that his role had changed. Cooperation required him to navigate familiar surroundings under very different circumstances. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Two Years as a DEA Informant
According to Behr’s account, he worked with the DEA for approximately two years, assisting major international investigations.
He describes a double life marked by pressure and fear of exposure.
His experience could help him understand people and operations that investigators were targeting. But that familiarity did not remove the danger associated with being discovered.
His appearance on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast explores those years, the cases connected with his cooperation, and how he remembers the demands of operating as an Informant.
The distinction between his role and that of a federal agent is important. Behr was a cooperating source rather than a sworn DEA agent.
Facing imprisonment was a powerful incentive to cooperate. What happened after he made that choice is another substantial part of the story.
His Critical View of the War on Drugs
Behr also offers a critical assessment of the War on Drugs. In his view, the broader campaign has largely failed.
The host of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show agrees, but with differing reasons why.
Listeners may agree with his assessment, disagree with it, or find some arguments persuasive while questioning others.
His history gives him a perspective worth hearing. It also gives the audience reasons to listen carefully and ask questions.
The Book Behind the Story
One Step Over the Line: Confessions of a Marijuana Mercenary combines Behr’s autobiographical account with stories about the people and events surrounding South Florida’s smuggling era.
The book follows his progression from teenage dealing to larger trafficking operations, the threat of a lengthy prison sentence, and his decision to cooperate with federal authorities. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
It offers readers more space to follow developments that a single interview can only cover in part.
For readers interested in Behr’s memoir, it provides a longer account of the choices and circumstances discussed on the show.
More information is available at https://onestepovertheline.com/.
Life After Cooperation
Behr’s story continues beyond his work as a cooperating source.
His appearance also addresses life afterward, the part of the account that extends beyond an arrest, an investigation, or an agreement with authorities.
The experiences he describes span childhood loss, involvement with drugs, years of smuggling, and cooperation with the DEA. Each belongs to the history he now recounts.
Understanding that progression requires attention to what followed as well as what happened during the criminal cases.
The interview gives listeners an opportunity to hear how he discusses his past today and how he describes life after leaving that role.
Why Ken Behr’s Story Still Draws Interest
The enduring interest in Behr’s story comes from the changes in his role.
A young dealer became involved in larger operations. A convicted smuggler became a cooperating source. Experiences acquired through criminal activity later became relevant to federal investigations.
The story also returns to the personal circumstances at its beginning. Childhood grief forms part of the background, while the years that followed involved choices, consequences, and a later decision about cooperation.
For people familiar with Miami’s reputation during the drug era, Behr offers an account from inside that world. For those encountering the history for the first time, his experience provides a personal entry point into a much larger subject.
The book allows that account to unfold at greater length. The Podcast provides another way to hear his recollections, including the cases and his life afterward.
Listen to the Free Podcast and Share His Story
Ken Behr is the guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, discussing childhood trauma, international drug smuggling, his two years as a DEA Informant, and life after cooperation.Listen and share the episode with someone interested in Miami’s drug history, the DEA, and the personal consequences of the trafficking world.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Attributions
Amazon
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
39 min
Her Son Was Murdered and Husband Killed in an Accident.
Episode 869
Show notes
Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident. Her Husband Died in a Motorcycle Accident. Years Later, Her Son Was Murdered. Teri Busse Refused to Let Loss Define His Life. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
The former paramedic, firefighter, and corrections officer speaks about her son Rylee James, thirteen days of uncertainty, sober recovery, and the difficult work of rebuilding after tragedy. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Teri Busse spent more than 25 years in emergency services and public safety. As a paramedic, firefighter, and corrections officer, she encountered people during some of the most frightening moments of their lives. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
She understood emergencies from the responder’s side. She knew that a family might remember every word spoken during a crisis, even when the person delivering those words had already moved on to the next call.
Then Busse became the family member waiting for answers.
Years before her son’s death, her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident. Busse struggled with alcohol after losing him. She entered sober recovery a few years later and has remained sober for many years. Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
In February 2022, she faced another loss. Her son, Rylee James, had been murdered.
What followed became the subject of her book, 13 Days of Silence: A Mother’s Voice from the Ashes. It is the story of a young man’s death, a mother’s search for answers, and a criminal case that grew far beyond what she could have imagined.
A burned vehicle near Leavenworth
In February 2022, a burned vehicle was discovered near Leavenworth, Kansas. Human remains were found inside its trunk. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
At first, Busse received inquiries from law enforcement about a car. The questions were vague, but she feared something was terribly wrong. Rylee was missing, and the passage of time brought no reassuring explanation.
Then came a request for dental records.
For thirteen days after her last contact with Rylee, Busse waited for official confirmation. She had years of experience around emergencies, investigations, and people in crisis. None of it could prepare her to wait as a mother for news about her own son. Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
The eventual confirmation gave the remains a name. It also made the loss irrevocably real: Rylee James was dead.
The phrase “thirteen days of silence” describes more than a period on a calendar. It marks the distance between fearing the worst and hearing it confirmed, days filled with questions that could not yet be answered.
When a son becomes part of a larger case
The investigation into Rylee’s murder became tied to one of Kansas’s early state-level RICO prosecutions. The case expanded beyond a single killing into allegations involving a broader criminal enterprise.
According to Busse’s account, two people charged in connection with Rylee’s killing accepted plea deals. Another was acquitted. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
Those outcomes are part of the legal record. For Busse, they are also part of a deeply personal story about what a family hopes to learn from the justice system and what it may still be left wondering afterward.
A prosecution must address charges, evidence, and the people accused. A mother has other questions, too. She wants to know what happened to her son. She wants his life to be understood as more than the circumstances of his death.
That tension runs through 13 Days of Silence: A Mother’s Voice from the Ashes. Busse writes from the position of the person who lived through the waiting, the confirmation, and the years that followed. Her book keeps Rylee at the center of a story that could otherwise be told only through investigative files and courtroom proceedings. Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
He was her son before he was a victim in a murder case. He remains her son after the case.
The responder on the other side of the call
Busse’s career gives her account an unusual perspective. For more than two decades, she worked in roles that required her to act when other people were overwhelmed.
Paramedics, firefighters, and corrections officers are expected to stay focused under pressure. They assess situations, make decisions, and carry out their responsibilities while the people around them may be frightened or grieving.
Busse knew that world. But knowing how emergency and public safety systems operate did not make her own experience predictable. She still had to endure uncertain phone calls, long waits, and the painful gap between what she feared and what anyone could officially tell her.
Her story shows how differently a crisis feels depending on where a person stands. From inside an emergency response, the next step may be clear. For a family waiting for news, each unanswered question can fill an entire day. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
A recovery that began before Rylee’s death
Busse’s experience with loss did not begin in 2022.
After her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident, she turned to alcohol. She later entered sober recovery and has maintained her sobriety for many years.
She speaks about that history because recovery is part of her life, not a separate chapter that ended before Rylee’s murder. When she faced another devastating loss, she did so as someone who had already spent years working to remain sober.
There is no simple formula for living through grief. Busse’s account offers her experience: a life marked by painful events, sustained recovery, and the continuing choice to speak honestly about both. Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
“These days, I write and speak about grief, trauma, recovery, resilience, true crime, and what happens when life doesn’t go remotely according to plan,” she says.
That work reaches beyond one book. Busse is an award-winning author, screenwriter, speaker, podcast host, and psychology graduate student. Her projects include the screenplay When Silence Never Ends and the podcast 13 Days of Silence: Living in the After.
The title of that podcast points to another part of her story. The thirteen days ended when Rylee was identified. Living in the aftermath did not.
Keeping Rylee’s name in the story
True crime accounts often focus on the investigation: the discovery, the charges, the plea deals, and the verdict. Those details matter. They explain what happened in court.
Busse also asks people to remember whose life was lost.
Her book is a mother’s account of the days before confirmation, the proceedings that followed, and the grief that continued when the public’s attention moved elsewhere. It is her way of speaking about Rylee as more than “ashes and evidence.”
On the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Busse discusses her son’s murder, the criminal case, her husband’s earlier death, and her long journey in sober recovery. She also talks about writing and speaking after loss, about finding a way to tell a story that remains painful because the person at its heart remains loved. Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
Rylee James was a son. Teri Busse wants his name, and his humanity, to remain at the center of the conversation.
Listen to Teri Busse’s interview on the free podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and the show’s website. Her book, 13 Days of Silence: A Mother’s Voice from the Ashes, shares the story from her perspective. Please share this conversation on Facebook or Instagram so others facing grief or working to sustain sober recovery can hear it. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Her son was murdered and husband killed in an accident.
Attributions
Amazon
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
40 min
An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career
Episode 868
Show notes
An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career. A convoy of 20 trucks was moving through Iraq when the attack began. The soldiers protecting it were outnumbered. The civilian drivers were counting on them to find a way through. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Staff Sgt. Chad Malmberg, a Minnesota National Guard soldier from St. Paul, led 15 soldiers in the fierce firefight south of Baghdad. For roughly an hour, his unit fought to defend the convoy and the people inside it. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Three times, Malmberg left the protection of his armored vehicle to fire a rocket or throw grenades at the attackers. When the battle ended, the convoy had escaped. No soldiers or civilian drivers had been killed or wounded. Not one vehicle was lost. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Malmberg’s actions earned him the Silver Star for gallantry in combat. He became the first Minnesota National Guard member since World War II to receive the medal. At a ceremony before about 1,000 soldiers and family members at St. Paul RiverCentre, then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty described him plainly: “He’s a hero, no question about it.” An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career.
Malmberg credited the training, weapons, and courage of the soldiers under his command. He recalled something his father had told him when he was young:
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but it’s the size of the fight in the dog. That day, we had a lot of fight in us,” Malmberg said.
The wounds no one could see
The convoy made it out without a physical injury to a soldier or driver. But surviving a battle does not mean leaving it behind. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Malmberg says many of the men he led struggled afterward with mental health challenges. He did, too. Their experience is a reminder that the effects of combat can follow service members home, even when the people around them see no obvious wound.
For Malmberg, coming home also meant beginning another demanding career. His father and uncle had served as police officers, and he followed them into law enforcement, joining the St. Paul Police Department. An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career.
The setting had changed from Iraq to Minnesota. The responsibility to make decisions under pressure remained. Police officers routinely respond to violence, crises, injuries, and people experiencing some of the worst moments of their lives. Those experiences can accumulate, while the pressure to appear unaffected can make it difficult to ask for help.
In this special episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Malmberg speaks about his own struggles, what helped him move forward, and what he still does to maintain the life he has built. His account connects two conversations that are too often kept separate: the mental health of combat veterans and the mental health of police officers. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
A new mission after policing
Malmberg eventually left the St. Paul Police Department and co-founded the STORM Training Group with Tom Menton. Their work focuses on defensive tactics, de-escalation, and coordinated team responses for law enforcement agencies.
The training emphasizes control, positioning, and decisions made under stress. Its aim is to give officers practical ways to manage physical encounters while reducing the chances that officers or the people they encounter will be injured.
STORM reports that departments using its training have seen reductions in use of force and injuries. Malmberg discusses those results and the thinking behind the methods in the episode. For someone who has led soldiers through combat and later worked as a police officer, training is more than an abstract policy discussion. It shapes what people are prepared to do when a situation changes in seconds. An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Malmberg’s story is also about what happens after those seconds pass. A successful outcome during a critical incident can still leave lasting effects on the people who were there. He talks about both: the decisions that helped his convoy survive and the personal work that followed him home. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Chad Malmberg’s life-or-death battle took place before his police career began. His story did not end when the gunfire stopped.
Listen to the Free Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or the show’s website. Follow and share the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other Social Media platforms so more veterans, police officers, and families can hear it.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
An Hour-Long Life-or-Death Battle Before His Police Career.
Attributions
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
37 min
How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers
Episode 867
Show notes
How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers, Plus the Investigations and Prosecutions. Special Episode. A former undercover police officer explains what families should know about online predators and the digital evidence that can help bring offenders to justice. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
For years, Brett Shavers worked undercover investigating drug and weapons organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Then his work took him into another dangerous world: investigations involving child sexual exploitation and online predators. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Shavers, a former police officer and digital forensics professional, joins the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast to discuss the demands of undercover work, the trauma of child exploitation investigations, and the evidence investigators must preserve to help build a case. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Why the words matter
Federal law uses the term “child pornography,” but the Department of Justice also calls the images “child sexual abuse images.” That wording makes the reality clearer: the material documents the abuse of a child. When it circulates online, victims may face the knowledge that a record of their abuse remains available to others. Federal law prohibits conduct involving the production, distribution, receipt, and possession of this material. How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers, Plus the Investigations and Prosecutions. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Online exploitation can begin wherever children communicate, including Social Media, games, and messaging apps. An offender may try to move a conversation into a private chat, ask a child for images, or pressure the child to keep the exchange secret.
How parents can help keep kids safe
Families do not need to understand every app to start an effective conversation. Parents can ask who their children talk with online, review privacy and chat settings together, and make clear that a child can ask for help without fearing blame. The Federal Trade Commission recommends talking early and regularly about online safety; parental controls can support those conversations. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
Children should know that someone they meet online may not be who they claim to be. If a person requests sexual images, threatens them, or pushes them to keep a relationship secret, they should tell a trusted adult. Suspected online child sexual exploitation can be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers, Plus the Investigations and Prosecutions. Special Episode. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
From a device to a prosecution
Digital forensics can help investigators identify devices and accounts, preserve electronic evidence, examine relevant files and communications, and present findings in a form prosecutors and courts can evaluate. Careful documentation matters throughout the process: investigators need to explain where evidence came from and how it was handled.
Shavers brings that investigative perspective to a difficult conversation. His career spans undercover operations and the painstaking examination of digital evidence in cases involving children. The episode looks at the human cost of this work while keeping the focus where it belongs: protecting children and holding offenders accountable. How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers, Plus the Investigations and Prosecutions. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Listen to Brett Shavers on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. Find the episode through the show’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages, or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For information about his digital forensics consulting and industry-specific Books, visit Brett Shavers’ website.
Please listen, share this Special Episode, and help others discover the realities of hostage negotiation, fallen officers, television police work, and the man behind the badge.
Please listen, follow and share this remarkable story.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
How To Keep Kids Safe From Pornographers, Plus the Investigations and Prosecutions. Special Episode.
Attributions
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
38 min
On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode
Episode 866
Show notes
On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode. The retired Broward County Sheriff’s Sergeant discusses fallen officers, high-stakes negotiations, his appearance on COPS, and the experiences behind his books. When the worst happens, someone has to respond and someone has to remain calm enough to handle the crisis. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Retired Broward County Sheriff’s Sergeant Glenn Topping knows that responsibility well. During a decorated law enforcement career in South Florida, he confronted hostage situations, investigated the killing of one of the deputies he supervised, experienced the loss of other law enforcement officers, and appeared On The TV Show COPS. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Topping joins host John J. “Jay” Wiley for a Special Episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast to discuss the realities hidden behind the uniform. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
“When the worst happens, someone has to respond and handle it,” is the central truth behind Topping’s story.
His journey stretches from Queens, New York, to the United States Army and eventually to one of the largest public safety agencies in the nation. It is a story of service, violence, loss, resilience, and the loving family that helped give his life new meaning. On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode.
From Queens to the United States Army
Glenn Topping grew up in Queens, New York, with his parents and two sisters. As a young boy, he had no way of knowing that his path would eventually lead him into military service, South Florida law enforcement, hostage negotiation, television, and writing. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
He began his career as a military police officer in the United States Army and became a veteran sergeant. After leaving the Army, he entered civilian law enforcement in South Florida and went on to become a decorated deputy sheriff sergeant with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
His progression from a young boy in Queens to a military police veteran and experienced sheriff’s sergeant later became an important part of the story told in his autobiographical work.
“A young boy’s pursuit of a dream” became more than the theme of a book. It became a description of Topping’s life.
Serving With the Broward County Sheriff’s Office
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office, commonly known as BSO, is one of the largest full-service public safety agencies in the United States. It employs more than 5,400 people, including nearly 3,400 sworn law enforcement officers, detention deputies, and fire rescue personnel. On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
For years, BSO was also recognized as one of the country’s largest fully accredited sheriff’s offices before losing that accreditation by unanimous vote in 2019.
The size and scope of the agency reflect the community it serves. Broward County is part of the Miami metropolitan area and the South Florida region. With 1,944,375 residents recorded in the 2020 census, it is Florida’s second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous county in the United States.
Policing such a large and diverse county brings officers and deputies into contact with nearly every kind of emergency. For Topping, some of those calls and investigations would remain with him for the rest of his life.
Deputy, Police, Trooper Killed: The Cost Behind the Headlines
The phrase Deputy, Police and Trooper Killed may appear as a headline, but for law enforcement families and agencies, it represents an intensely personal loss.
Topping experienced that reality when he investigated the killing of one of the deputies under his supervision. He also confronted other line-of-duty deaths involving law enforcement officers throughout his career.
Those cases were not merely files or statistics. The fallen officers were colleagues, friends, subordinates, and members of an extended law enforcement family.
“Life-and-death situations changed his life forever,” Topping’s story makes clear.
The loss of family members, friends, colleagues, and coworkers, many to violence, left lasting scars that did not disappear when an investigation ended.
In this Special Episode, he speaks about the difficult responsibility of investigating an officer’s death while also processing the grief that comes with losing someone he knew and supervised. His account reveals a side of police work rarely seen by the public: officers may be expected to mourn, lead, investigate, and continue answering calls at the same time. On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Sheriff Negotiation: When Every Word Matters
Topping also served as a hostage negotiator for the sheriff’s office, an assignment in which patience and communication can mean the difference between life and death.
A Sheriff's Hostage Negotiation is far more complicated than simply talking to a person in crisis. Negotiators must remain composed while communicating with people who may be armed, suicidal, emotionally unstable, or holding others against their will.
At the same time, they must coordinate with tactical officers, commanders, emergency personnel, and other members of the response team.
Every word matters. So do timing, tone, patience, and the ability to listen.
The goal is often to slow a dangerous situation down, establish trust, gather information, and create an opportunity for a peaceful resolution. Yet negotiators must work with the knowledge that a sudden action or misunderstood phrase could change everything.
Topping’s experiences offer a rare look at the emotional control required to communicate during a crisis while lives hang in the balance. They also show why the work can remain with a negotiator long after the scene has been cleared.
On The TV Show COPS: A View From Inside the Patrol Car
Topping was also featured On The TV Show COPS, placing part of his law enforcement career before a national television audience.
Produced by Langley Productions, COPS premiered on the Fox network on March 11, 1989. The American documentary television series is currently in its 38th season and has become known for following police officers and sheriff’s deputies during patrols, calls for service, narcotics investigations, prostitution stings, and the execution of search and arrest warrants. Some episodes have also featured state and federal agencies. On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
The show’s style traditionally uses no narration, scripted dialogue, incidental music, or added sound effects. Instead, viewers experience events through the officers’ comments and the actions of the people they encounter, creating the program’s familiar “fly on the wall” perspective.
Most episodes contain three self-contained segments, often concluding with one or more arrests.
But even an unscripted television program can show only part of what an officer experiences. Cameras may capture the call, pursuit, or arrest, but they cannot always reveal the years of training behind an officer’s decisions or the emotional consequences that may follow.
Topping’s appearance on COPS gives him a distinctive perspective on the difference between watching law enforcement on television and living with the responsibility of the badge every day.
Books Inspired by Violence, Loss, and Survival
Beyond his military and law enforcement service, Glenn Topping is an accomplished author of several Books rooted in experiences that shaped his life.
His most recent book, Look, a Quarter: A Young Boy’s Pursuit of a Dream, chronicles his journey from childhood in Queens through military service and a decorated law enforcement career in South Florida.
The book explores both the good and the bad: childhood dreams, professional success, life-and-death encounters, and the losses that permanently changed him. Topping writes about family members, friends, colleagues, and coworkers who died, many as a result of violence. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
Yet his story does not end in tragedy. It ultimately leads to the loving family he built and the purpose he found after years of confronting violence and death.
His first novel, The Hurt, grew from another traumatic experience. It follows Topping’s story surrounding the drive-by shooting death of a friend from a South Florida club where they worked during the early 1980s. On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode.
The title captures the lasting damage caused by violent crime, not only to the person killed, but also to the friends, relatives, coworkers, and witnesses who must live with what happened.
The Hurt is available online through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Xlibris, Kindle, and Nook.
A Special Episode About the Reality Behind the Badge
This Special Episode is more than a conversation about a retired deputy or a famous television program. It is an examination of what police work can demand from the people who perform it.
Glenn Topping’s story moves from military police service to South Florida law enforcement, from Sheriff's Hostage Negotiation to the investigation of a subordinate deputy’s death, and from appearing On The TV Show COPS to writing Books about violence, grief, hope, and survival.
His experiences provide an unfiltered look at the responsibilities officers carry when the public calls for help and the memories they may continue carrying decades later.
Listen to Glenn Topping’s full interview on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. The free Podcast is available on the show’s website and major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and more.
Follow the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for more powerful interviews with law enforcement officers, survivors, first responders, and others whose lives have been changed by crime and trauma.
Please listen, share this Special Episode, and help others discover the realities of hostage negotiation, fallen officers, television police work, and the man behind the badge.
Please listen, follow and share this remarkable story.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.On The TV Show COPS: Hostage Negotiator and Life Behind the Badge. Special Episode.
Attributions
Amazon
Kindle
Wikipedia
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40 min
Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War
Episode 865
Show notes
Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War. Former South African police sergeant Nick Howarth reveals the violence, trauma and political warfare he witnessed as a teenage officer in his book, War in Peace: The Truth About the South African Police’s East Rand Riot Unit, 1986–1994. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Nick Howarth was not merely an observer during one of the most turbulent periods in South Africa’s history. He was on the ground, wearing the uniform and confronting violence that would leave permanent scars on his life. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Howarth joined the South African Police Force in 1986. He was only 17 years old, fresh out of high school, when he entered a world of burning barricades, political unrest, tribal warfare and mass casualties. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
He eventually served as a section commander in the Internal Stability Division, a specialized anti-terrorist and riot-control unit. During nine years of police service, Howarth witnessed scenes of violence and suffering that most people could scarcely imagine.
His experiences are detailed in his gritty firsthand memoir, War in Peace.
“It is the story of a man, a uniform, a fractured nation, and the impossible task of keeping the peace when peace had already broken down.”
A Teenage Police Officer Thrust Into Warfare
At an age when many teenagers are still deciding what they want to do with their lives, Howarth was beginning a dangerous career as a police officer in South Africa. Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War.
The former athlete joined the police believing he was entering a profession devoted to maintaining law and order. Instead, he was quickly thrust into a conflict that often resembled urban warfare.
Howarth and the other officers in his unit patrolled townships in armored Casspir vehicles. They responded to burning barricades, bombings, massacres, shootings and widespread political violence.
The officers frequently found themselves caught between heavily armed groups while attempting to protect residents, recover victims and prevent further bloodshed.
“Bombs, massacres, the murdering of women and children, courage, cowardice, heartache, defeat and victory became part of Howarth’s life.”
The constant violence eventually took an enormous psychological toll. After nine years in the specialized unit, Howarth left police work because of the accumulated stress and trauma. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
The uniform was gone, but the memories remained.
The Hidden War During Apartheid in South Africa
During the final years of apartheid, a brutal conflict was raging inside many of South Africa’s townships.
The violence was driven in part by a struggle for political influence between supporters of the African National Congress, led by Nelson Mandela, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The conflict unfolded as the National Party government gradually relinquished power and South Africa moved toward democratic rule. Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War.
More than 20,000 people reportedly died during approximately four years of extreme political and tribal violence.
Yet much of the bloodshed remained hidden from South Africa’s population and the international community. Strict restrictions on journalists and news organizations limited what the local and foreign media could report.
According to Howarth’s account, people outside the townships had little understanding of the daily brutality taking place there.
It was “a brutal African war” that remained largely outside the view of much of the world.
Police During Apartheid in South Africa
Discussions about police during apartheid in South Africa are inseparable from the oppressive system they served and the documented abuses committed under that system. Howarth’s book does not erase that history. Instead, it presents one officer’s firsthand account of working inside a specialized unit during the country’s violent transition. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
War in Peace: The Truth About the East Rand Riot Unit focuses on ordinary law enforcement officers caught in the middle of political upheaval, community unrest and open warfare.
Howarth describes officers confronting attacks from armed self-defense units, responding to scenes of mass violence and attempting to protect civilians in an environment where the source of the next attack was often impossible to predict.
The book offers a perspective that Howarth believes has been overlooked in sanitized historical accounts and traditional news coverage.
His story raises difficult questions: What was the job really like for the police officers sent into those townships? How did repeated exposure to mutilations, murders and mass casualties affect them? And what happens when a teenage recruit is expected to function like a soldier in a conflict with no clearly defined battlefield? Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War.
Violence That Left Permanent Scars
Howarth describes a world in which women, children and elderly residents were not spared. Race, religion, language, age and gender offered no guaranteed protection from the violence.
He witnessed sacrificial mutilations, symbolic killings and tremendous suffering among township residents. He also saw courage and compassion emerge under the most horrific circumstances.
The violence became so common that it threatened to destroy the humanity of everyone exposed to it.
Howarth watched himself drift into what he described as “the dark depths of hell” while trying not to show fear or emotional weakness. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
He spent nine years working in that environment.
They were “nine years that changed his life forever and left scars that not even time can heal.”
The emotional consequences did not disappear when his shifts ended. Eventually, the stress and violence convinced him that he could no longer continue as a police officer.
Why Nick Howarth Wrote War in Peace: The Truth About the East Rand Riot Unit .
For decades, Howarth carried these experiences privately.
He said that writing War in Peace: The Truth About the East Rand Riot Squad gave him an opportunity to document what he saw and explain how the conflict affected the officers and civilians trapped inside it.
The memoir is graphic because the reality was graphic. Howarth does not attempt to soften the violence or present a comfortable version of events.
The book explores bloodshed, political manipulation, endurance and the psychological cost of repeatedly confronting death.
It is also the autobiography of a young man forced to grow up inside an environment defined by fear, hatred and uncertainty.
“This is a story that has never been told before and is so incredible that it is hard to believe it actually happened.”
The first paperback edition became a bestseller, leading to the release of an e-book edition. However, readers should understand that the subject matter is disturbing. Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
As its description warns, “This book and his story are not for the fainthearted.”
The Truth About Their Job
The truth about their job, according to Howarth’s account, was that these officers were expected to operate as policemen, soldiers, rescuers and witnesses to history, all at the same time.
They were policing communities overwhelmed by political instability and armed conflict. Their decisions were often made in seconds, under attack and surrounded by civilians.
Howarth’s story does not offer simple answers or attempt to settle the larger historical debate surrounding apartheid. Instead, it provides one man’s personal testimony about what he witnessed, what he was ordered to do and what nine years of relentless violence did to him.
His experiences demonstrate that surviving physical danger does not mean escaping unharmed. Some wounds remain invisible, emerging through stress, traumatic memories and the struggle to rebuild a life after leaving law enforcement.
Nick Howarth Shares His Story
Today, Nick Howarth lives in South Africa. He joins the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast to discuss his police career, his specialized unit and the experiences that inspired War in Peace: The Truth About the East Rand Riot Unit. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
During the interview, Howarth talks about becoming a police officer at 17, spending nine years in an anti-terrorist and riot unit, confronting warfare in the townships and ultimately leaving law enforcement because of the violence and stress. Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War.
His account offers listeners a rare glimpse into police work during apartheid in South Africa and the hidden conflict that accompanied the nation’s transition to democracy.
The interview also examines the personal consequences of serving in a violent environment and why Howarth felt compelled to finally put his memories into a book.
Listen to the free podcast interview with Nick Howarth on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. It is available through the website and on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Follow and share the episode on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms to help bring attention to this extraordinary story of police work, political warfare, trauma and survival.
His website is https://www.townshiptales.com/
This episode of the show is brought to you in part by Mars Men. You hit your 30s and 40s, and things start to feel different. Now that I’m in my 60s, I’ve really noticed the change. My energy drops faster. Recovery takes longer. Workouts don’t have the same impact they once did. Most importantly, what worked for me in my 20s simply doesn’t work anymore. So, I started looking for answers. Honestly, the testosterone-support space can be confusing, and much of it sounded sketchy. I don’t want to become a professional bodybuilder. I just want to look and feel more like the old me. Thankfully, I found Mars Men, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Mars Men is made in the USA, third-party tested, and formulated to support healthy testosterone levels, energy and stamina. It’s now available at GNC stores nationwide.
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To
Mars dot com. That’s https://mengotomars.com/ for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. After you
purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our
show sent you.Please listen, follow and share this remarkable story.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Police During Apartheid in South Africa: The Truth About Their Job and the Hidden War.
Attributions
Amazom
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
40 min
Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed
Episode 864
Show notes
Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed. He escaped the doomed aircraft moments before takeoff. What happened next triggered years of depression and inspired the question that rebuilt his life. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Kurek Ashley was living the life many aspiring performers only dream about. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
The retired actor now living in Australia was working in the Philippines on Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, an action movie starring Chuck Norris. He was surrounded by friends, building a Hollywood career and looking toward a promising future. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Then, on May 16, 1989, everything changed.
Ashley had recently stepped out of a helicopter being used during filming. The aircraft took off without him to perform a low-level aerial maneuver, but it never completed the mission.
The helicopter suddenly veered, plunged into a ravine and burst into flames.
Four people died in the immediate aftermath. A fifth member of the production later died from his injuries.
Ashley escaped the aircraft without a physical injury, but he could not escape what happened next.
His close friend, key grip Mike Graham, died in his arms while being transported to the hospital. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
For Ashley, surviving was only the beginning.
A Hollywood Movie Set Became the Scene of a Tragedy
The fatal helicopter crash happened near Tagaytay in the Philippines during production of the Chuck Norris film. Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed.
The aircraft was carrying eight people when it went down near a large unfinished mansion. The helicopter fell approximately 40 feet into a ravine before erupting in flames.
The crash initially claimed four lives: key grip Mike Graham, gaffer Don Marshall, cinematographer Gadi Danzig and Filipino pilot Jojo Imperial. Actor and stunt performer Geoff Brewer later died from his injuries, bringing the final death toll to five. Contemporary reports confirmed the four initial deaths, while the film’s production history records Brewer’s later death.
Three other people aboard the helicopter survived with serious injuries. Chuck Norris was not on the aircraft.
Ashley had been on the helicopter shortly before it departed.
That one decision, to step out before takeoff, separated him from the friends and colleagues who were carried into the ravine. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
It was the type of moment that can divide a life into two distinct parts: everything before the crash and everything after it.
He Survived Without Physical Injuries, but the Trauma Followed Him
Ashley walked away physically unharmed, but the emotional and psychological consequences were devastating.
The former Hollywood actor struggled with severe depression for approximately two years. He had witnessed the sudden deaths of people he knew and loved. One of his closest friends had died in his arms.
The questions that follow a traumatic survival can be relentless.
Why did he get out of the helicopter?
Why did he survive when others did not?
What was he supposed to do with the life he had been given?
Those questions could not be answered by another movie role or another achievement. The success he had once pursued no longer held the same meaning. Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
The crash had taken five lives. It had also shattered Ashley’s understanding of his own life and forced him to search for a new purpose.
From Actor to Author and Speaker
Ashley eventually experienced what he describes as a personal transformation rooted in love.
Instead of allowing the tragedy to define the rest of his life, he began rebuilding from the inside. His pain became part of a larger mission: helping other people change the thoughts, emotions and decisions shaping their lives.
The Actor On A Fatal Helicopter Crash, How His Life Changed story eventually became inseparable from Ashley’s work as an author and speaker.
He went on to write the book "How Would Love Respond?", presenting a spiritual toolkit for directing the thought patterns that influence success, failure, relationships and personal fulfillment.
At the center of the book is one powerful question:
“How would love respond?”
For Ashley, those four words are more than the title of a book. They represent a way to interrupt fear, anger and despair before making a decision. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
The question asks people to pause and consider whether their next response will be driven by pain, or by the person they want to become.
The Question That Changed His Decisions
Ashley’s transformation did not erase the helicopter crash or bring back the friends who died.
It changed what he did with the pain.
His message is that people may not control every tragedy that enters their lives, but they can work to control what that tragedy creates within them. Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
That belief became the foundation of his work as a speaker and personal-development leader. He has shared his message with audiences around the world, encouraging people to examine how their thoughts produce the emotions and actions shaping their lives.
His mission grew from one of the darkest days imaginable.
It is a reminder that survival alone is not always the end of a traumatic event. Survivors may carry guilt, grief, depression and unanswered questions long after their visible injuries have healed, or even when there were no visible injuries at all.
A Career That Included Recognizable Hollywood Films
Before devoting his life to writing, speaking and personal transformation, Ashley worked as an actor in Hollywood productions.
His credits included appearances connected with titles such as Airheads, Maniac Cop 2 and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, along with other movie and television projects.
Yet his most important role may have begun after he stepped away from Hollywood.
The survivor became an author.
The actor became a speaker.
The man overwhelmed by depression began helping other people confront their own pain and reclaim their lives.
Kurek Ashley Tells His Story on the Podcast
Kurek Ashley is the guest on this compelling episode of the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed. Listen to this powerful episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast as Kurek Ashley discusses the fatal crash, nearly dying afterwards and finding the higher purpose that ultimately changed his life.
He discusses the day a movie set became the scene of a fatal helicopter crash, the death of his friend, the depression that followed and the transformation that gave his survival a new meaning.
This is not simply a story about an actor or a Hollywood accident.
It is a story about trauma, survivor’s guilt, purpose and the decision to build a new life after the old one has been destroyed.
Ashley also explains the message behind his Book, How Would Love Respond?, and how one question can change the direction of a decision, and possibly an entire life.
From Tragedy to a Mission Built on Love
Five people ultimately died because of the helicopter crash connected to Delta Force 2.
Ashley survived because he had exited the aircraft shortly before its final flight.
The physical escape took only moments.
The emotional escape took years.
His journey from Hollywood actor to bestselling author and international Speaker shows that surviving tragedy and healing from it are not the same thing.
Healing required Ashley to confront his depression, reconsider the meaning of his life and transform unbearable loss into a mission focused on helping others.
The interview is available through the show’s website and across major platforms, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Follow and share the episode on Facebook and Instagram to help bring greater awareness to PTSD, and the long road from trauma to recovery.
You can also follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more true stories involving police officers, survivors, crime victims, veterans, and first responders.
The question at the center of his work remains simple:
“How would love respond?”
The answer changed Kurek Ashley’s life.
His story may change the way others respond to their own pain.
Listen to the Free Interview
Listen to this powerful Podcast interview with Kurek Ashley on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. The free interview was aired on numerous major Radio Stations and is available on the show’s website and podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify. Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed.
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other Social Media platforms for more real stories about trauma, survival and transformation.
Please listen, follow and share this remarkable story.
Learn more about Kurek Ashley, his Book and his work as a Speaker are at https://www.kurekashley.com/.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Actor on a Fatal Helicopter Crash: How His Life Changed.
Attributions
Cannon Group
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Paramount Pictures
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
-
41 min
Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency
Episode 863
Show notes
Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose. A single bullet changed Cameron McKay’s life forever. On March 12, 2015, the police officer was standing on a protest line during the Ferguson, Missouri, protests when a .40-caliber full-metal-jacket bullet struck him in the face. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
It entered through his right cheek, traveled toward the back of his head, deflected off the inside of his skull and entered his neck. The bullet finally stopped between his carotid artery and jugular vein. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
McKay survived, but the shooting was only the beginning of his fight. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
“I was trapped in time and stuck in the moment when I was shot,” McKay recalled. “Part of me couldn’t believe I was still alive. I didn’t think anyone could survive being shot in the head.”
Five Years Into His Police Career, Everything Changed
McKay had served in law enforcement for approximately five years when he was critically wounded. At the time, he was an officer with the Webster Groves Police Department in Missouri.
The man convicted of shooting McKay and another police officer during the 2015 protest was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A criminal conviction, however, could not repair the physical and psychological damage McKay experienced.
After the shooting, his mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health fell into turmoil. Flashbacks repeatedly pulled him back to the protest line. Constant anxiety drained him during the day, while terrifying dreams followed him into the night. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
“I felt like I was reliving the shooting again and again,” he said. “During the day, anxiety consumed me. At night, I dreamed about dying in horrible ways.”
The Hidden Battle With PTSD
For nine months, McKay attended psychological therapy twice a week. He took his prescribed medications, hoping they would stabilize his mood and allow him to sleep without disturbing nightmares.
He was also self-medicating with alcohol in an effort to escape the pain, even if the relief lasted only temporarily.
His experience reveals a difficult truth about post-traumatic stress: surviving the original incident does not necessarily mean the danger feels over.
For McKay, the gunshot wound was visible. The PTSD was not.
“I was trying everything I knew to quiet what was happening inside me,” he explained. “I wanted relief from the place where my mind had become trapped.” The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency
Eleven months after the shooting, McKay’s law-enforcement career came to an abrupt end.
According to McKay, the Webster Groves Police Department fired him because he had not recovered enough to return to duty at 100 percent. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
He had survived being shot in the face while serving as a police officer. Now, while still attempting to recover from that traumatic injury, he also faced the loss of his badge, career and professional identity.
“Police work wasn’t simply what I did, it was part of who I was,” McKay said. “Losing that career while I was still fighting to recover created another kind of trauma.”
His story, Police Shot in the Face, Then He Was Fired by Agency: His PTSD Journey, raises serious questions about how injured officers are supported after the headlines disappear. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
What happens when an officer survives the attack but cannot meet an agency’s timeline for recovery? Who helps that officer rebuild when the uniform, career and sense of purpose are suddenly gone?
Eight Seizures in Three Hours
The crisis intensified on the first anniversary of the shooting.
McKay’s wife found him having a seizure in bed. He had never experienced a seizure before that night, but he reportedly suffered approximately eight seizures within three hours. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
Each time he regained awareness, he resisted going to the hospital.
“I was ready to die,” he acknowledged.
A police officer at the scene helped him recognize that refusing medical treatment was placing an enormous emotional burden on his wife. That intervention persuaded McKay to cooperate with emergency medical personnel. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
He was transported to a St. Louis hospital while continuing to experience seizures. His blood pressure was dangerously high, placing him at risk of suffering a stroke.
Doctors placed him in a medically induced coma and conducted a CT scan. The examination revealed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, commonly known as PRES, a serious neurological condition associated with swelling and increased pressure affecting the brain. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
The medical emergency brought him dangerously close to death, but something happened during his hospitalization that became a turning point.
The Moment That Started His Recovery
McKay describes an experience in the hospital that transformed the direction of his life. It helped him recognize that surviving the shooting had given him an opportunity to do more than remain trapped by what happened. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
It marked the beginning of his journey from pain toward recovery, meaning and purpose.
“I eventually realized that I could not change what happened to me,” he said. “But I could decide what I was going to do with it.”
Recovery did not erase the shooting, PTSD or loss of his police career. Instead, McKay learned how to incorporate those experiences into a new life, one focused on helping other people confront their own trauma.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Today, Cameron McKay is a PTSD recovery coach with a master’s degree in Management and Leadership. He uses his education and personal experience to help others understand trauma, mental health and the difficult process of rebuilding after life-changing events. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
He is also the host of the SH!T CREEK SURVIVORS Podcast, a show devoted to people who have found themselves facing overwhelming circumstances without an obvious way out.
The Podcast features real stories of resilience, near-death experiences, emotional survival and personal transformation. Its mission is serious, but it also makes room for support, honesty and laughter.
“We have all experienced times when we felt stuck without a paddle,” McKay said. “The goal is to share those stories, support one another and recognize that, even when life feels like a complete mess, there is still a way through.”
His guests discuss the moments that tested them, the choices that helped them survive and the lessons they discovered along the way.
A Story of Survival, PTSD and Hope
Cameron McKay’s story did not end when he was shot in the face. It did not end when his police agency fired him or when PTSD, alcohol and a life-threatening medical emergency nearly overwhelmed him.
Those moments became chapters in a much larger story.
His journey demonstrates that recovery does not mean forgetting the trauma or pretending it never happened. Recovery can mean confronting the pain, accepting help and gradually transforming survival into strength. Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
“The shooting will always be part of my story,” McKay said. “But it no longer gets to control how the story ends.”
Listen to this powerful episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast as Cameron McKay discusses being shot during the Ferguson protests, losing his police career, battling PTSD, nearly dying and finding the higher purpose that ultimately changed his life.
The interview is available through the show’s website and across major platforms, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Follow and share the episode on Facebook and Instagram to help bring greater awareness to PTSD, injured police officers and the long road from trauma to recovery.
You can also follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more true stories involving police officers, survivors, crime victims, veterans, and first responders.
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Police Shot in the Face, Then Fired by His Agency: His PTSD Journey From Trauma to Purpose.
Attributions
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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39 min
Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants
Episode 862
Show notes
Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants. After 20 years in the United States Army and multiple combat tours, retired Sergeant First Class William Alfred Stephens Jr. understands that some battles continue long after a service member returns home. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Stephens served in artillery during wartime and experienced the relentless pressure, danger, and emotional toll of military combat. During one deployment to Iraq, he was relieved of duty following an incident in a combat zone, an experience that became part of a much larger struggle involving trauma, anger, identity, and mental health. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Today, Stephens is an award-winning Author, speaker, mentor, and advocate who refuses to let his most difficult experiences define the rest of his life. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
He is our guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, where he speaks openly about Military Combat and Mental Health, his experiences in Iraq, and the ongoing process of Building the Life He Wants.
The Battles That Followed Him Home
Stephens spent two decades serving in the Army before retiring as a Sergeant First Class on October 31, 2008. His years of service included multiple combat tours and time as an artilleryman, operating in an environment where danger, destruction, and death were constant realities. Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
The military trained him to fight and survive in combat. Returning home and adjusting to civilian life required a different kind of strength.
Stephens discusses how his experiences affected his mental health, relationships, emotions, and sense of purpose. He also explains how being relieved of duty in Iraq affected him personally and professionally.
His story is not simply about what happened in a combat zone. It is about what happened afterward, and how he began rebuilding his life.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Writing became one of the tools Stephens used to confront his past, examine his emotions, and give meaning to experiences that were often difficult to explain.
He eventually transformed those struggles into books designed to help others feel less alone. His work explores PTSD, anger, loss, resilience, healing, and the difficult journey toward self-understanding.
Stephens describes himself as more than an author. He is a visionary and creator who builds stories from his own mind, body, and soul. His mission is to transform real-life struggles into powerful messages that encourage readers to fight, heal, and rise. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
His growing collection of work includes:
The Mirror
A deeply personal collection of therapeutic poetry created for “the broken and the brave.” The book reflects the emotions of people who may struggle to express their pain aloud. Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants.
The Broken Mirror
An award-winning memoir that confronts PTSD, loss, anger, and resilience. The Book reportedly became an Amazon bestseller in mental health and anger-management categories.
No Filter
Released on October 31, 2025, No Filter follows Stephens’ journey from a skateboard-loving child to a military veteran, entrepreneur, and author. Written without apology or regret, the book received the Literary Titan Book Award and a Readers’ Favorite award.
Reflections Series: Legacy Edition
The Reflections Series brings three of his prominent works together in one companion collection. It connects the different stages of his life and offers readers a broader look at his experiences, struggles, growth, and evolving purpose. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Becoming the Voice of the Voiceless
Stephens also created Story Tyme with StevO, a platform he describes as “the Voice of the Voiceless.”
Through writing, speaking, mentoring, and storytelling, he creates a space where mental health, courage, and honesty come together. His goal is to educate, empower, and entertain while reminding people that their stories deserve to be heard. Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants.
“Authors are the unheard voices of the voiceless,” Stephens says.
He also uses the powerful phrase, “Mental health is a life sentence without parole,” to express how these struggles can require lifelong attention. For Stephens, healing does not mean pretending that the past never happened. It means learning how to live, grow, and build a meaningful future despite it.
Building the Life He Wants
One of the most important parts of Stephens’ story is how he achieved, and continues to maintain, the life he has worked to create.
His recovery was not a single breakthrough or easy transformation. It has been an ongoing process requiring honesty, discipline, creative expression, and a willingness to confront painful memories. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Stephens now uses the lessons from his military service, combat experiences, and mental health struggles to help others recognize that their lives can still be rewritten.
His message is especially important for veterans, first responders, trauma survivors, and anyone who feels trapped by the worst moments of their past.
A person can carry scars without surrendering the future.
A painful chapter does not have to become the entire story.
Hear William Stephens Tell His Story
William Alfred Stephens Jr. joins the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast for a candid conversation about his 20-year Army career, multiple combat tours, the incident that led to him being relieved of duty in Iraq, and the mental health challenges that followed. Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
Most importantly, he reveals what helped him move forward and how he continues Building the Life He Wants.
Listen to the Free Podcast on our website and on major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
Follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more true stories about military service, trauma, survival, recovery, and second chances.
William Stephens’ journey proves that even when the mirror appears broken, the reflection can still reveal strength, purpose, and the possibility of a new life.
To learn more about him and his books, visit his website.
You can also follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more true stories involving police officers, survivors, crime victims, veterans, and first responders.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Military Combat and Mental Health: Building the Life He Wants.
Attributions
Bookshop.org
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40 min
Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper
Episode 861
Show notes
Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. A planned drug arrest in Mississippi suddenly erupted into a deadly ambush. Gunfire rained down from a sniper positioned on a hill. One police officer was struck three times and barely survived. An armed drug dealer was also shot. For Merle Temple and his fellow narcotics officers, it became a brutal reminder of the risk and danger they faced during America’s first war on drugs. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
It was the late 1970s, a time before the bulletproof vest became standard equipment in police work. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
Temple, a former captain with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, shares his remarkable story on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. His experiences later inspired multiple novels filled with crime, corruption, faith, betrayal, and survival. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
A Drug Arrest Turned Into a Sniper Ambush
Temple and his team were preparing for a buy-bust operation targeting suspected drug dealers. They knew the arrest would be dangerous, but they had no idea that the suspects had allegedly positioned a sniper above them.
Just before leaving for the operation, Temple experienced an overwhelming feeling that he needed to turn around.
“God scared me to death,” Temple said. “He commanded me to go back and get the bulletproof vests.”
Temple initially resisted the warning. Body armor was not commonly worn by police officers in 1976, and his unit had only two vests available. Still, he returned and retrieved them.
That decision may have saved lives.
“They let it get away from them,” Temple recalled about the attempted arrest. “The drug dealers had a sniper with a rifle up on a hill, and he rained fire down on us. It was a terrible day.”
The scene exploded into chaos.
A police officer was shot three times and came close to death. A suspect was also struck by gunfire. The heavy protective vests Temple had gone back to retrieve suddenly became critically important. Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
It was a real-life Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper story, one that revealed the extraordinary dangers faced by early narcotics officers.
Before Bulletproof Vests Became Standard Police Equipment
Modern officers routinely recognize the importance of body armor, but police equipment was much different during the 1970s. Temple’s unit had only two protective vests, and wearing one was far from commonplace.
Narcotics agents frequently worked alone, without the tactical teams, communications technology, surveillance equipment, and immediate backup available to many officers today.
“In those days, the unit was small,” Temple said. “There really wasn’t any backup, you were on your own.”
That isolation increased the risk of every undercover meeting, drug purchase, vehicle stop, and arrest. Agents could find themselves surrounded by armed suspects miles away from help.
Temple repeatedly faced that reality during his career.
From FBI Fingerprint Technician to Undercover Drug Agent
Before entering narcotics enforcement, Temple worked as a fingerprint technician for the FBI. He later served as a deputy sheriff and became one of Mississippi’s earliest designated narcotics officers.
Temple attended Ole Miss and finished school around the time President Richard Nixon was launching the national “war on drugs.” He joined the newly formed Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and spent much of his career working undercover.
“It was exciting,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was getting into.”
Temple eventually became an area commander and captain with the agency. His assignments placed him inside a violent criminal world where exposure could mean kidnapping, torture, or death.
A 1989 profile in The Augusta Chronicle reported that Temple had been held hostage by two suspects while working undercover. It also described his survival of a sniper ambush carried out by cocaine dealers. Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
His life often seemed more unbelievable than anything an author could invent.
A Gun to His Head and a Shotgun Against His Stomach
One of Temple’s most terrifying undercover encounters occurred near Tylertown, Mississippi.
While posing as part of the drug world, he allowed two suspected dealers to get into his vehicle. They directed him into a remote area and eventually took him to a small shack built on stilts.
There, his cover, and his life, were placed in immediate danger.
One man reportedly pressed a pistol against Temple’s head. The other held a shotgun against his stomach.
“Images of my life really did flash past my mind,” Temple said.
He knew he could be killed at any moment. There was no nearby team waiting to rescue him and no guarantee that anyone would find him if he disappeared.
Temple later acknowledged that youth sometimes made him feel invulnerable.
He took chances and made mistakes that, by his own admission, he should not have survived.
Drug Dealers Allegedly Planned Where to Bury Him
The threats against Temple did not end with undercover operations.
According to Temple, drug dealers once discussed where they would bury his body after hired killers were supposed to murder him. His career exposed him to criminals who were willing to do far more than threaten an officer to protect their operations. Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
Yet Temple continued his work.
“Work was a crusade in those days,” he said.
That crusade eventually collided with another powerful force: politics.
Temple said corrupt political figures attempted to weaken the narcotics agency and install their own person inside the organization. The controversy was leaked to the Clarion-Ledger and became headline news.
He also claimed that witness tampering occurred and that political figures were searching for a way to frame him.
“It was politics that caused me to leave,” Temple said. “There were some corrupt politicians who wanted to clip our wings.”
When Truth Became the Foundation for Fiction
After leaving law enforcement, Temple transformed his experiences into the Michael Parker book series.
Although the novels are presented as fiction, they draw heavily from Temple’s career as a deputy sheriff, undercover agent, narcotics captain, corporate manager, political campaign chairman, and Christian ministry founder.
Merle Temple is the author of:
Deputy: Once Upon a Time in Mississippi
Blood on the Ground
A Ghostly Shade of Pale
A Rented World
The Redeemed: A Leap of Faith
Resurrection: Home Before DarkThe stories explore violent crime, political corruption, moral conflict, redemption, and the intersection of government, business, and organized criminal activity.
Some of Temple’s real experiences were reportedly so shocking that a district attorney told him audiences would consider them too unbelievable for a movie. Temple’s response was simple: they actually happened. Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
His life gives new meaning to the expression, “Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“A Ghostly Shade of Pale” and the Michael Parker Series
Among Temple’s most recognized works is the book A Ghostly Shade of Pale. According to Temple’s biography, it became the all-time bestselling novel at the Barnes & Noble store in Tupelo, Mississippi.
His books have been used in middle school, high school, and college classrooms. They have also reached readers in church libraries, shelters, and prisons across numerous states.
Temple signed books for members of the casts of Criminal Minds and Major Crimes in Hollywood. His work was also optioned for a proposed television series based on his extraordinary life.
His story extends far beyond undercover police work.
Temple founded a highly successful Christian ministry inside the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He served as Mississippi’s state criminal justice chairman for Ronald Reagan and later became Georgia chairman of the Reagan Legacy Project.
The Officer, Author, and Survivor Behind the Story
Merle Temple’s journey is filled with moments that sound as though they were created for a crime thriller: undercover drug buys, hostage situations, assassination plots, sniper fire, political corruption, and unexpected acts of faith.
But behind those stories was a real officer confronting real danger.
The sniper ambush remains one of the most powerful chapters of his life. His last-minute decision to retrieve two bulletproof vests demonstrated how one choice can separate survival from tragedy. Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.
The officer struck three times survived, but the attack exposed the enormous risk Temple and his team faced while confronting armed drug organizations with limited manpower and equipment.
Temple’s experiences eventually gave him the material, and the mission, to become an author.
Hear Merle Temple Tell His Story
Merle Temple is the featured guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. He discusses the sniper ambush, undercover operations, his law enforcement career, political corruption, faith, and the true events that inspired his books.
To learn more about Merle Temple and his books, visit his website.
You can also follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more true stories involving police officers, survivors, crime victims, veterans, and first responders.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Listen to the free Podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website and through major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Cop Down, Shot on Drug Arrest by a Sniper, The True Story.
Attributions
Augusta Chronicle
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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41 min
Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success
Episode 860
Show notes
Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. At 36 years old, Judy B-Armstrong expected to continue building her career as a registered nurse. She had invested years in caring for others, developing her medical knowledge, and creating a future for her family. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
Then her health began to fail. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
The symptoms were severe, her physical limitations became overwhelming, and she eventually received a life-changing diagnosis: lupus. The chronic autoimmune disease forced Judy to leave nursing and brought her professional life to an unexpected stop. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
But her story did not end there.
Judy’s years of illness, uncertainty, and personal trauma eventually led her toward remarkable and unexpected success. She went from being unable to work to becoming the CEO of an ambulatory surgery center. She later built a career in real estate and discovered a new calling as an inspirational Christian speaker.
Judy B-Armstrong is the guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. During the interview, she talks about her health challenges, the emotional impact of losing her nursing career, and the faith that helped her rebuild her life.
Her powerful message is clear: “Never give up, because God is still writing your story.”
A Lupus Diagnosis Changed Everything
Judy was working as a registered nurse when her health began to deteriorate. At first, she did not have a clear explanation for what was happening to her body. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
As her symptoms intensified, it became increasingly difficult for her to perform the physically demanding work required in nursing. Eventually, doctors diagnosed her with lupus.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue. Its symptoms can include extreme fatigue, joint pain, inflammation, and damage to different parts of the body. The severity of the condition varies, but for Judy, the physical limitations became impossible to ignore.
She could no longer continue working as a nurse.
Losing a career can affect far more than a person’s income. It can also disrupt their identity, confidence, independence, and sense of purpose. Judy had spent years helping patients, but she suddenly found herself facing an illness that she could not simply treat or work through.
“The lupus diagnosis ended my nursing career, but it did not end my ability to make a difference,” Judy explains.
At the time, however, she could not see where the journey would eventually lead.
Forced Into an Unexpected Season of Life
Judy became a stay-at-home mother and remained out of the workforce for nearly a decade.
What began as a medical necessity turned into a long season of waiting. Her body had imposed limits that she had never planned for, and there was no guarantee that she would ever be able to return to a professional career.
Those years required patience, resilience, and faith.
Rather than completely disconnecting from her profession, Judy continued following developments in nursing and healthcare. She stayed informed about the latest nursing News and maintained an interest in the industry that had once defined her career. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
She also began consuming books, recordings, and presentations from some of the leading motivational speakers of that era. Their lessons about perseverance, attitude, purpose, and personal growth helped her protect her mindset during an extremely difficult period.
Long before Judy stepped onto a stage as a motivational speaker, she was learning how words could give people hope.
“Sometimes the waiting season is not wasted time,” she says. “It may be the season when God is preparing you for something you cannot see yet.”
Her body had slowed her down, but her mind remained active. She continued learning, listening, and believing that her life still had meaning.
From Unemployment to CEO
After nearly 10 years away from the workforce, Judy received an opportunity that few people could have predicted.
She was hired as the CEO of an ambulatory outpatient surgery center.
The transition was extraordinary. Judy went from being unable to work because of lupus to assuming responsibility for leading a healthcare organization.
Her nursing experience gave her an understanding of patient care and the medical profession. Her years of studying motivational leaders helped strengthen her communication and leadership abilities. Her personal experience with illness also gave her a perspective that could not be learned from a textbook. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
She understood healthcare from both sides, as a nurse and as a patient.
“Every experience had taught me something,” Judy says. “Even the painful chapters were preparing me for the next opportunity.”
Her return to healthcare did not look anything like the future she had originally imagined. She did not go back to bedside nursing. Instead, she returned as an executive responsible for helping guide an entire surgical center.
It was an unexpected form of success born from a season that once appeared to hold little promise.
Finding Success and Starting Again
Judy built a successful career as the CEO of the ambulatory surgery center, but she eventually felt called toward another change.
She left healthcare administration and entered real estate sales.
Once again, Judy had to rebuild. Real estate required different skills, including marketing, networking, sales, negotiation, and the ability to create trust with clients. Her experience as a nurse and executive helped her communicate effectively, while her personal story enabled her to connect with people facing major life transitions.
Today, Judy is a Realtor based in San Luis Obispo County, California. She understands that buying or selling a home is rarely just a financial transaction. It can represent a new beginning, a difficult ending, or an important turning point in someone’s life. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
Her journey from nursing to healthcare leadership and then real estate demonstrates that a career does not have to follow a straight line to be meaningful.
“Starting over does not mean that everything before it was a failure,” Judy says. “It means you are carrying those lessons into a new chapter.”
Turning Trials Into Testimonies
Judy’s experiences eventually led her to motivational and inspirational speaking.
As a Christian speaker, she now shares a story marked by illness, heartbreak, resilience, humor, grace, and faith. She speaks at retreats, church conferences, congregations, banquets, networking events, community gatherings, and special-interest groups.
Her message centers on trusting God through life’s storms and refusing to believe that difficult circumstances represent the end of the story.
“God’s faithfulness can turn trials into testimonies,” Judy says. “What feels like an ending may actually become the beginning of something you never expected.”
Judy does not speak about resilience as an abstract concept. She has experienced the fear of failing health, the grief of losing a career, the frustration of physical limitations, and the uncertainty of spending years outside the workforce. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
She also understands what it means to return, rebuild, and take another risk.
Her presentations combine faith, authenticity, transparency, and humor. She encourages audiences to trust God during periods of waiting, believe in His timing, and move forward with renewed strength.
The Trauma of Losing a Career
A forced career change can create a form of grief that others may not recognize.
For Judy, nursing was more than a job. It represented her education, service, professional identity, and ability to care for people. Lupus took that career away before she was ready to leave it.
The resulting trauma could have convinced her that her most productive years were behind her. Instead, it eventually became part of the story she now uses to encourage others.
Judy’s experience offers important lessons for anyone facing chronic illness, an unexpected career change, or a prolonged period of uncertainty:
A medical diagnosis may change a person’s plans without eliminating their purpose.
Time away from work can still be used for learning and personal growth.
Skills developed in one career can create opportunities in another.
Starting again is not a sign of failure.
Success may arrive in a form completely different from the one originally imagined.
Her journey shows that limitations can redirect a life without destroying its value.
Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success
The title of Judy’s story, Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success, captures the surprising path her life followed.
She did not choose lupus. She did not plan to leave nursing or spend nearly 10 years unemployed. She could not have predicted that she would become the CEO of an ambulatory surgery center, enter real estate, or speak to audiences about faith and resilience. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The interview is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major Podcast platforms. Additional articles, and episode information can be shared through Facebook, Instagram, and other Social Media channels.
Those opportunities emerged after one chapter of her life appeared to have closed permanently.
Today, Judy B-Armstrong is an inspirational Christian speaker, registered nurse, Realtor, mentor, and living example of perseverance. Her story reminds people that success is not always defined by avoiding hardship. Sometimes, it is defined by what a person builds after hardship changes everything.
Her Website is http://judyb-armstrong.com. And she wrote the Ebook Titled: Faith Through Storms.
“Never give up,” Judy says. “God is still writing your story.”
Hear Judy’s Story on the Radio Show and Podcast
Judy B-Armstrong shares her journey on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. She speaks openly about lupus, leaving nursing, the decade she spent outside the workforce, her unexpected rise to CEO, her transition into real estate, and the faith that eventually led her to motivational speaking.
The interview is available as a Free Podcast on major platforms, including Apple and Spotify. Episodes and related content can also be found through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other Social Media platforms. Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success. The show is distributed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and other podcast platforms. Its interviews are also promoted across Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels.
Listeners will hear how a woman confronting serious physical limitations found a new direction, rebuilt her professional life, and transformed painful experiences into a message of encouragement.
Her life could become a powerful Book because it contains a lesson that reaches far beyond one diagnosis or career: a person’s current circumstances do not necessarily reveal how their story will end.
Listen to the Show, share the episode, and follow the latest Radio, Podcast, and News content from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Her Health Challenges And Trauma Led To Unexpected Success.
Attributions
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-
41 min
Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything.
Episode 859
Show notes
Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. A reclusive television repairman. A wife no one knew existed. A mysterious death inside a cluttered Georgia home. And a murder trial that would change two families, and one attorney’s life, forever. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio
When attorney McCracken King Poston Jr. agreed to defend Alvin Ridley, many people in Ringgold, Georgia, had already reached their verdict. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
Ridley was strange. He was isolated. He lived behind closed doors in a junk-filled house. Most shocking of all, a woman had been found dead inside, and she was reportedly his wife, although many people in town never knew he was married. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
To the public, the case appeared almost impossible to explain.
But was it a murder?
That question is at the heart of a gripping episode of the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. Poston shares the extraordinary courtroom battle, the evidence investigators reportedly overlooked, and the unlikely friendship that emerged from one of Georgia’s most unusual criminal cases. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything.
It is also the remarkable story behind his Book, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom.
A Death That Shocked a Small Georgia Town
In October 1997, the northwest Georgia town of Ringgold was rocked by reports of a suspicious death.
Virginia Ridley had been found dead inside the home she shared with Alvin Ridley, a former television repairman known locally as the “Zenith Man.” The nickname came from his years selling and servicing Zenith televisions.
Alvin had always been considered a local character. He was reclusive, socially awkward, and frequently misunderstood. His home was cluttered, his mannerisms were unusual, and his relationships with other people were often difficult. He shares the full story as a guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram.
Then the community learned that he had a wife.
Virginia had reportedly lived with Alvin for decades, yet many people in town did not know she existed. Rumors quickly spread that he had kept her captive inside the home for approximately 30 years before killing her.
The story sounded like something created for a true-crime television series.
The accusation was horrifying, and the circumstances surrounding Virginia’s life and death made Alvin an easy person to suspect.
But unusual behavior is not proof of murder.
That distinction would become the foundation of Poston’s defense.
“The case was never simply about whether Alvin Ridley was different. It was about whether the evidence proved that he was guilty.”
The Attorney Who Took the Case
McCracken Poston was no stranger to public pressure.
Born and raised in Catoosa County, Georgia, he had strong personal ties to the community where the case unfolded. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served as president of his graduating class. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
Before entering private practice, he worked as an assistant district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.
Poston also served four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1989 through 1997. After losing a campaign for the United States Congress, he returned to practicing law.
That career transition placed him in the path of Alvin Ridley.
Poston knew Alvin as the eccentric “Zenith Man” who once sold and repaired televisions. Although Alvin could be difficult, combative, and intensely private, Poston did not believe that his odd personality automatically made him capable of murder.
He agreed to defend him.
What followed was one of the most difficult and personally transformative periods of Poston’s life.
A Client Who Would Not Help His Own Defense
Preparing for a murder trial is challenging under any circumstances. Defending a client who refuses to reveal essential facts makes the task even more difficult.
Alvin was not an easy client.
He was reluctant to communicate and often unwilling to provide Poston with information that could help explain his marriage, Virginia’s secluded life, and what happened inside the house.
Every unanswered question created another obstacle.
Why had Virginia remained hidden from public view?
Had she been prevented from leaving the house?
Why did so few people know the couple was married?
What caused her death?
And why did Alvin behave in ways that made him appear suspicious, even when he might have been trying to tell the truth?
Poston had to look beyond Alvin’s personality and search for facts.
“A defense attorney cannot rely on appearances, rumors, or community opinion. The obligation is to examine the evidence, even when the client makes that work extraordinarily difficult.”
Piece by piece, Poston began reconstructing the story of Alvin and Virginia Ridley.
The answers were buried inside medical records, witness testimony, expert analysis, and the enormous amount of material found inside Alvin’s cluttered home. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms.
The Evidence That Changed the Case
The prosecution’s theory portrayed Alvin as a controlling husband who had kept Virginia captive before causing her death.
Poston’s investigation pointed toward another possibility.
With assistance from medical experts, he focused on Virginia’s health and the true cause of her death. His defense challenged assumptions that had shaped the case and raised serious questions about evidence that he believed law enforcement had overlooked.
The home that initially appeared to reinforce the image of a disturbed killer began producing evidence that supported the defense.
Poston also made the risky decision to call Alvin to testify.
For a defendant in a murder case, taking the witness stand can be dangerous. Prosecutors gain the opportunity to question the accused directly, and a single poorly worded answer can affect how jurors view the entire case.
For Alvin, a man who struggled with communication and frequently appeared hostile or evasive, the risk was even greater.
Yet his testimony gave jurors an opportunity to see the person behind the rumors.
The trial became about more than his strange behavior. It became a search for the truth about Virginia’s life, the couple’s marriage, and her death.
The defense argued that the medical evidence did not support the murder allegation.
After hearing the testimony and examining the evidence, the jury acquitted Alvin Ridley of all charges in 1999.
He walked out of court a Free man.
A Later Diagnosis Flipped Everything Again
The acquittal ended the criminal case, but it did not fully explain Alvin Ridley.
That explanation would come years later.
Alvin was eventually diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The diagnosis offered a new way to understand many of the traits that had made him appear suspicious, hostile, or impossible to reach. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing.
His communication difficulties, rigid behavior, social isolation, and inability to respond in ways others expected were no longer merely signs of eccentricity.
The revelation reframed the entire story.
It also raised a disturbing question: How often are people treated as dangerous or dishonest simply because they communicate differently or fail to conform to society’s expectations?
Alvin had been judged long before a jury heard the evidence. His differences helped create a public image that fit the accusation, even if the medical facts did not.
“When someone does not behave the way society expects, people can mistake difference for guilt.”
The diagnosis does not erase every mystery surrounding Alvin and Virginia’s unconventional marriage. It does, however, offer important context about a man who spent much of his life being misunderstood.
The Murder Trial That Changed Poston’s Life
The case did more than save Alvin Ridley from a possible murder conviction. It changed McCracken Poston personally.
By the time he took the case, Poston had already spent approximately 14 years building his legal and political career. Beneath his professional success, however, he carried emotional wounds connected to his childhood. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin.
He had grown up with an alcoholic parent and struggled with low self-esteem and other personal issues. Alcohol would also become part of his own battle.
Then his father appeared at Alvin’s trial.
That moment became part of a life-changing sequence for both men. Poston’s father became sober afterward, and Poston eventually began his own recovery journey.
Today, Poston has reportedly been sober for more than 20 years.
The courtroom victory was important, but the case’s impact reached far beyond a legal verdict. It transformed his relationships, challenged his understanding of himself, and helped place him on a path toward recovery.
In an unexpected way, Alvin became more than a client.
The two men formed an unlikely friendship, one that may have saved both of their lives.
Zenith Man: More Than a True-Crime Book
Decades after the trial, Poston returned to the case in his 2024 Book, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom, published by Citadel Books/Kensington Publishing.
The Book is part true crime, part courtroom drama, and part personal memoir.
It examines the mystery surrounding Virginia Ridley’s death, the challenges of representing Alvin, and the surprising evidence that changed the direction of the case. It also explores family, addiction, justice, community judgment, friendship, love, and redemption.
At its center are two very different men.
One was a former state legislator and experienced criminal defense attorney attempting to rebuild his career. The other was a reclusive television repairman accused of committing an almost unimaginable crime. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything.
Their relationship began because of a murder charge.
It endured because each man discovered something human in the other.
“Sometimes the case that appears to be about saving a client becomes the case that saves the attorney, too.”
A Career Filled With Nationally Recognized Cases
Poston’s legal work has extended far beyond the Ridley trial.
As a Georgia and Tennessee criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor, and former state representative, he has handled numerous high-profile criminal cases.
His work has received national News and television coverage, including features on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E’s American Justice, Forensic Files, Extra, and NPR’s Snap Judgment. The interview is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major Podcast platforms. Additional articles, and episode information can be shared through Facebook, Instagram, and other Social Media channels.
Yet the Alvin Ridley case remains the one most closely associated with his career.
It combined a sensational accusation, a deeply unconventional marriage, overlooked medical evidence, community suspicion, and a defendant whose behavior was widely misunderstood.
It also became a deeply personal story of sobriety and redemption.
Lessons From the Trial
Poston’s experience offers several important lessons about the criminal justice system and the way the public consumes crime stories.
First, appearances are not evidence. A person can be strange, unlikeable, evasive, or socially isolated without being guilty of a crime.
Second, medical evidence matters. Assumptions about a death must be tested against forensic facts and qualified expert analysis.
Third, defendants with autism or other communication differences may be particularly vulnerable. Behavior that appears cold, deceptive, or uncooperative may have an entirely different explanation.
Finally, redemption can emerge from unexpected places.
Poston entered the case as Alvin’s attorney. He left it with a changed perspective on his career, his family, his struggles with alcohol, and the direction of his life.
Hear the Full Story on the Free Podcast
McCracken Poston tells the remarkable story behind the trial on the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast.
He discusses the difficulties of defending Alvin Ridley, the obstacles that threatened trial preparation, the overlooked evidence, and the courtroom decisions that helped secure an acquittal. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The show is distributed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and other podcast platforms. Its interviews are also promoted across Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels.
He also talks about his father’s unexpected appearance at the trial, his family’s experience with alcoholism, and his own journey to more than 20 years of sobriety.
The Free Podcast episode is available across major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Updates and additional content from the Radio Show can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.
For true-crime followers, the episode provides a rare look inside a defense attorney’s preparation for an almost unbelievable murder trial. For listeners interested in recovery, family, autism awareness, and second chances, it offers something even more powerful.
Was It a Murder?
The people of Ringgold initially saw a dead woman, a secret marriage, and an eccentric husband living inside a cluttered house.
They believed they knew what had happened.
The evidence told another story.
McCracken Poston’s defense helped Alvin Ridley walk out of court a Free man. Years later, Alvin’s autism diagnosis changed the way many people understood his behavior. The trial also became a turning point in Poston’s relationship with his father and in his own journey toward sobriety.
Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom is not merely the story of a sensational murder accusation.
It is the story of what can happen when one attorney looks beyond appearances, questions the accepted narrative, and refuses to confuse being different with being guilty.
Was it a murder?
The trial flipped everything people thought they knew and the truth changed far more than the verdict.
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Be sure to check out our website .
Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms.
Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at http://www.LetSavings.com
For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they’ve always wanted.
We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here.Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at http://www.LetHealthy.com
Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms.
Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that’s John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here.
The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website .
Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything.
Attributions
Amazon
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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