Police officers walk the streets knowing that their job is to help out citizens. Sometimes it's stopping crime, but other times it can be a simple as being friendly to the children in the neighborhood.
For one police officer, it was a quick wave back to a 9-year-old girl named Klynn Scales. But one day when something tragic happened to Klynn that nearly took her life, that friendly local police officer knew he had to come to the rescue. See what happened to Klynn, and how both her life, and the local police officer's life, changed after the terrifying event.
A Friendly Hello Can Go A Long Way
At nine-years-old, Klynn Scales found her first hero; a local police officer who was assigned to make the rounds in her neighborhood every day. She kept track of what time he would be passing by her house and would sit by the window waiting. When he'd pass by, Klynn would excitedly wave to say hello.
The police officer enjoyed the friendly interaction and would wave back. Every day, the pair would exchange hellos, often brightening otherwise hard days. There's a reason Klynn's neighborhood was patrolled daily. She didn't exactly have an easy childhood.
Klynn Grew Up In A Dangerous Neighborhood
Klynn Scales grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. During the 1990s, when she was a little girl, she would help her mom take care of her two younger brothers. To anyone on the outside, she seemed like just another young girl living a normal life.
Her life, however, was anything but normal. Klynn's neighborhood was so dangerous, she would look forward to seeing the police officer drive by her house every day. This was the truth of Klynn's life, and somehow she found a way to embrace it. It was, for this reason, she survived through the most difficult time of her life.
Klynn Had To Raise Her Younger Brothers
The house that Klynn Scales grew up in with her brothers and mother was in a neighborhood ruined by drugs and violence. It was no place for a child to have to grow up, but it was the reality of Klynn's situation.
Making matters worse, Klynn's mother was rarely home, having to work ruthless hours to keep a roof over her family's heads. This meant a lot of Klynn's life growing up was spent raising her brothers. That's a lot to ask someone who isn't even a teenager.
Klynn Played The Role Of Mother
As the oldest sibling in a household with an absentee parent, Klynn took responsibility for her brothers. She knew they needed to eat, so she would walk through her dangerous neighborhood to go to 7-Eleven. Without money to pay for the essentials, young Klynn was forced to steal what she needed to survive.
The troubled life of Klynn and her brothers is heartbreaking to think about. No child should grow up without a childhood, and that's essentially what happened. Klynn became a mother to her brothers, and her love drove her to do whatever needed to be done for their well being, even at her own health's decline.
The Police Noticed Klynn
Because of the way she was forced to live her life, it wasn't long until the police noticed Klynn Scales. They learned everything they could about the down-on-their-luck family. One police officer in particular, found himself especially concerned.
This was the officer who ended up driving by Klynn's house every day, becoming a light in an otherwise dark world. Their daily exchange became expected and highly anticipated. This officer was making a huge difference in Klynn's life. He had no idea that before he knew it, he'd also be saving it.
The Officer Pledged His Allegiance To Klynn
Not only did the unnamed police officer drive by Klynn's house every day to make sure she was safe, he told her that he was there to protect her. Fully grown today, Klynn said, "Through all the bad situations, I would just picture him saying that he was here for us."
This dedication helped Klynn get through even her darkest times, "those words would come to me during the worst times of my childhood life." It wouldn't be long until this promise would be fulfilled, proving to Klynn that good still existed in the world.
A Daily Greeting Became A Warning Sign
Little Klynn Scales quickly grew attached to her new friend, "He was the one person that I trusted in my life as a kid." She loved greeting him every day, and he loved waving back. When she didn't show up to greet him one day he knew something was wrong.
Their greeting had become routine, and considering the neighborhood Klynn lived in and the responsibilities she had as a "mother," her missing her daily greeting was a troubling warning sign that something wasn't right.
The Officer Approached The House
Cautiously, the police officer approached the Scales household and let his instincts take over. What he found when he opened the door was devastating. Little Klynn was laying on the floor, struggling to take a single breath.
The officer rushed Klynn to the emergency room, where all he could do was wait. We know now that Klynn survived, but imagine being this officer with no idea what was happening. We can't imagine how hard it must have been to helplessly wait outside of the emergency room.
Klynn Was Given A Clean Bill Of Health
Luckily for the police officer, his quick thinking saved Klynn's life. At the hospital, it was determined she had suffered a severe episode of malnutrition. If he hadn't have found her at the time he did, there's a good chance Klynn would not be alive too.
Shortly after the incident, Klynn moved with her family to Texas. She was never able to say thank you to the man who had saved her life. Knowing it's never too late, Klynn set out 20-years-later to track down her unnamed hero.
Klynn Turned To The Internet
One of the firsts things Klynn did when she began searching for her hero was to post about her experience online. She didn't know who might see what she was posting, but she stayed optimistic. Her optimism paid off when she saw a comment by Jennifer Jones.
Jones was a Sergeant with the Kansas City Police and saw Klynn's story. She told Klynn she thought she knew the officer being described. Was Klynn about to find out the true identity of her childhood hero? Was her search for the truth uncovered this easily?
The Name Behind The Face Revealed
In 2016, an officer named Jeff Colvin opened an email from Jennifer Jones. The email talked about Klynn and the story she wrote about online. She explained there was a little girl who lived down the street from the station Colvin worked at was grown up and looking for her "guardian angel."
Colvin recognized the story right away. He knew who Klynn was, and knew that the little girl whose life he saved was able to grow up. Years of worry and wondering were flushed away with joy and happiness.
Colvin Was Ecstatic
Just as Klynn Scales had never forgotten about Jeff Colvin, he had never forgotten her either. As he said, "I had actually thought about her and wondered whatever happened with her." Now he didn't have to wonder anymore, he knew the truth.
The truth made him ecstatic. He was overwhelmed with happiness to learn that Klynn was alive. He was also incredibly touched she remembered him and had reached out to find him. The only thing left to do was be reunited with Klynn.
A Reunion With Tears
After 20 years not knowing what had happened to the other, Colvin and Klynn reunited in person. Both were overwhelmed with emotions. Klynn even broke down in tears upon seeing her childhood hero again. She admitted that she thought it would never happen.
Colvin's life was changed by the reunion too. He had spent so long on the force dealing with more failures than successes he was losing his passion for the job. Seeing Klynn reignited a fire inside him.
Colvin Found The Love For His Job Again
When Jeff Colvin saw Klynn for the first time in 20 years, something amazing happened. His passion for the job returned. He said, "most times we go through our career not realizing we truly helped anybody out. I wondered if I was even in the right career path."
Officer Colvin, at that moment, knew without a doubt he had made the right career choice. He then learned that his choices led Klynn to make a unique career choice of her own!
Klynn's Grown Up Job
Inspired by her childhood hero, Klynn Scales revealed to Colvin that she applied to be a police recruit in Houston. His heroics had led her down her own path to become a police officer and work to make a positive impact on the lives of those around her.
The surprises didn't end there. Scales had been dreaming of this reunion for twenty years. Not only was Colvin her childhood hero and career inspiration, he was like a surrogate father to her. With that, she had one more thing to tell him.
Klynn's Tribute To Colvin
As soon as Klynn learned the name of her hero, she had a bracelet made with the words, "Sgt. Jeff Colvin 'A True Hero'" engraved on it. She said she got the bracelet to honor her hero and friend, reiterating she sees him as her "guardian angel."
The story of Klynn and Colvin proves the positive power that police officers can have on communities and individuals. Klynn isn't the only person who has ever had her life changed by an officer, something she found out when her story went viral.
Klynn's Story Went Viral
Knowing there are few things as powerful for police stations as community outreach, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department shared the story online. Her story went viral instantly, with many people inspired to share their own amazing stories about police officers.
Not surprisingly, several commentators shared their own stories about Sgt. Colvin and the amazing things he had done for them. As it turns out, Klynn's life wasn't the only one he saved after all his years on the streets. He was a true local Kansas City hero.
The Support Was Incredible
In today's world, police officers aren't always treated with respect, and the overwhelming support Klynn and Colvin received was incredible. One comment read, "I have great respect for all police, though some deserve it more than others."
In this case, no one deserves more respect than Jeff Colvin for the time and care he took in protecting Klynn during her time of need. And Klynn has now made it her life's mission to pay it forward.
Klynn's Future Is A Reflection Of Her Past
Talking about her plans for the future, Klynn chooses to focus her attention on the past, "I hope one day I can becomes someone's hero, or make a positive impact like you [Colvin] did mine." With two kids of her own, Scales plans to start with them.
Then, with her new career, she plans to become an even bigger hero. Colvin's heroics showed her there was light in the dark. Now she sees it as her job to "pay it forward" and show a new generation of lost souls that there is hope.
The Story Comes Full Circle
The story of Sgt. Jeff Colvin and Klynn Scales is one of sadness turned into happiness. It stands as proof that there's good in the world, and there are people committed to being good. This is important to remember, especially during tough times.
After graduating from the police academy, as of June 2018, Klynn is officially a police officer. Can you guess who was in the audience cheering her on? Jeff Colvin and his wife, along with Jennifer Jones all showed up to congratulate Klynn on her accomplishment.
These Kind Acts by Police Officers Will Melt Your Heart
Rapper The Game's son started a GoFundMe for this wonderful police officer who is regularly posting his interactions on Instagram with the black community where he works. Officer Tommy Norman is in Little Rock, Arkansas, and clearly loves his job and loves people.
He posts images of himself speaking with and hanging out with members of the communities where he patrols, and his snaps and images of his daily life are so full of heart and connection that his Instagram has just under one million followers! Officer Tommy Norman is dancing with people, making jokes, discussing the merits of Pop Tarts, and in general making the world a better place.
Officer Makes Sure Everyone Gets Home Safe
UK resident Lawrence Court was out getting drunk at night with friends in the center of the city, when one person in the group was refused entry to a nightclub. Stumbling home and getting lost, he was spotted by a police officer who stopped to help him out. The police officer then took the young man's phone and texted his friends "Hello, it’s the police on Cameron’s phone. He is very drunk and we are dropping him home. He does not know what number Woodville Road he lives on."
At first, the teens didn’t believe the officer, and thought it was a joke. After the officer sent them a photo of himself snapped on the phone, they believed him, and sent the address. One of the group posted the screenshots of the chat to Twitter, where it went viral.
Rescued From Near Death
Spokane Police Officer Tim Schwering made it in People magazine when he rescued a woman, Kim Novack, from her burning and smoke-filled vehicle. Novak's 2012 Chevy Malibu hit a patch of ice in the road and the engine and lights suddenly shut off. When she couldn’t start her car, she tried to get out but the electrical system in the car failed, and so she couldn’t open the power locks. She was stuck in the car, which started to burn and fill with smoke.
That’s when Officer Schwering showed up. He bravely approached the burning car and began hammering on the passenger side window. He finally was able to smash it open, and pulled Novack out of the car, saving her life. "He’s an amazing individual," says a woman who works with Schwering. “He is a gentleman and a family man. He’s truly a hero. Everyone who has ever worked with him was not surprised when we heard what he did.”
Troopers Go Through Snow and Storm
Kentucky State Police officers Chris Martin and Laney Hall picked up a medication in Louisville for ill bone marrow transplant patients, ensuring it got to the patients on time during a weekend's snow. Couriers could not get through, and without the efforts of the two Troopers, who volunteered to help, the patients would have have been without their very important medicine.
UK Healthcare wrote, "These guys are heroes every single day, and they certainly made a difference in these patients’ lives. We just can’t thank them enough." This job wasn’t technically theirs to do, but the Troopers did it because it was the right thing to do.
Something Nice, Once a Year
Illinois police officer Patrick Moody had decided he wanted to do something nice for a complete stranger once a year when he came on the car accident that ruined single mother Danielle Robinson's car. She only had liability insurance and no proof that the other car was at fault, and this was her only car. As Moody drove her home, a plan formed in his mind. He contacted a friend who owned a used car lot, and they agreed to split the cost of a used car for Robinson.
He tricked Robinson into thinking there was paperwork she needed to sign at the police station, and when she arrived, instead there was a 2001 Chevrolet Lumina waiting for her. "You would have thought she won a brand new $50,000 car," Moody said of her reaction.
Helping A Young Man Get To Work
Jourdan Duncan is 18 and works the graveyard shift seven miles from his home, packing boxes at a nutritional supplement company in the Northern California city of Benicia. After his car broke down, it took him almost two hours to get to work and back. He didn't want to bother others asking for a ride. One night while walking home, Duncan was spotted by Police Officer Keffer, who pulled over to question Duncan. When Duncan explained his situation, Keffer gave him a ride home.
Officer Keffer immediately wanted to help this ambitious young man who wanted to become a police officer himself one day. After a unanimous vote from his police association to raise the money, Keffer headed to a local bike shop and picked out a $500 mountain bike that "needed to attack the hills." Now there is also a GoFundMe for Duncan’s college education!
The Po-Po Help With Prom
Darius was a student in his senior year at Lakeland Senior High School and looking forward to his prom, but he wasn't sure exactly what he would wear or how he’d work out transportation.
School Resource Officer Dagon Leach knew Darius from the school campus where they occasionally chatted. When Darius mentioned to Officer Leach that he didn’t have a ride to prom, the officer said "I would be happy to take you." As Officer Leach has a Nissan GT-R, this sounded pretty good to Darius! The officer and faculty also chipped in for Darius to have a great tux. “He is one of the most kind-hearted students I’ve ever met,” said Leach. “He is loved by everyone on campus and I was honored to drive him to the prom. Every kid should have the opportunity to attend their big night.”
The Walk Home
81-year-old Roberta lives with her daughter, and every morning Roberta takes a jaunt down her driveway and back to her home in Charles County, Maryland. Roberta's daughter was alarmed when her mom didn’t come back from her walk one day. She called 911 and Officer Morrison went on his way to find Roberta. About an hour later, he found her, and instead of telling her about the 911 call, he simply offered to escort her back to her home.
They walked hand in hand in a sweet photo captured above. Officers P. DeBoe, C. Caywood, B. Morrison, Sgt. C. Black, and Cpl. C. Clevenger and his K9 partner were all involved in the successful search to find Roberta and walk her home.
A Happy Birthday Surprise
Tyler Reseigh wanted only one thing for his birthday on July 30th, and that was a visit from a police officer. The little boy who has cerebral palsy is obsessed with cops and loves playing police. Tyler didn't know the police were coming to his party, and was happily playing with his friends when they surprised him. Babble wrote, "Tyler just let out this loud noise," Reseigh laughs.
“The loudest yell in joy. He was so happy. He has a walker, but he will sometimes scoot around the house because it’s easier, and when they got there, he forgot all about that walker and just scooted right out the door.” Tyler told the police officers later that they were his best friends.
Saved From Attack
Dennis Ow had a heart attack in the middle of a training run when police officers and first responders ran to his aid and performed CPR, saving his life. Ow later tracked down the people who helped save him, and sent them a mailed invite to a banquet in their honor. Once they attended, each police officer was given a plaque dedicated to them. Chief Ken Cusano said, "For somebody to go through the trouble that he went through, to thank us for doing our job, it's inspiring. He really is a great person."
Dennis Ow is just grateful to be alive, saying his chances of surviving were only 2 or 3 percent. He has since run in other marathons and wants the take away from this to be: learn CPR.
Helping A Family Move
A Durham Regional Police officer in Oshawa, Toronto was ripped off badly by a moving company who verbally agreed to move the family for $50 an hour, but then charged them $1500, a substantial amount more. The moving company also held the family's belongings in the truck once they reached the location and refused to unload until they received even more money. The family called the police and although there was nothing the police could do at the moment (it was a civil matter, not a criminal one).
Officer Campbell decided to help in the way that he could: he helped them move. Loading the furniture into the house was was the kind gesture this officer did for the frustrated family, who said, "It was difficult until he came, and then we just kind of felt, 'Okay, there is still some good out there.'"
Portland Police Deliver Pizza
In Portland, Oregon a Pizza Hut delivery driver was in a car crash, and his injuries sent him to the hospital. The police officers who responded to the crash decided to finish his deliveries for him, and took the list and the pizzas and hand delivered the pizzas! Steve Huckins and his wife were shocked to open their door and find two of Portland's finest standing there with their undelivered pizza on hand!
"They turn around to leave, and I said, 'whoa, whoa, whoa – I got to get a picture of this. No one is going to believe Portland police delivering a pizza.’ So that’s the picture everyone saw," Huckins said.
The Lullaby
Officer Nick Struck was handed a crying and gasoline soaked two-year-old girl the same age as his own daughter, after arriving to the scene of a deadly car crash in Brighton, Colorado. A white SUV was turned upside down and the little girl's father was lying dead, while her mother and siblings were all seriously injured and being given on-site treatment by paramedics removing them from the car.
The photographer, Jessica Doug Matrious, had witnessed the crash and was standing by when she took the photo of the officer and the little girl. Officer Struck had wanted to comfort the toddler, so he began singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to her, and she calmed down. Officer Struck was a comfort at the worst moment of this little girl’s life.
Lost in a Crowd
In Louisiana Officer David Taylor had his photo taken unknowingly as he carried around a child who had become separated from his family and was crying and scared. Officer David Taylor scooped up the little boy and let him ride on his shoulders until he became too tired, after which the officer held the little guy until he fell asleep in his arms.
Taylor ended up holding the boy for about a half hour, until the four year old could be reunited with his worried mom. Officer Taylor says he was just doing his job, and we are glad to see that this is what he considers his job to be: the safety and comfort of the people he works for.
Comforted by an Officer
Officer James Hurst took a 16-month-old child to a hospital in Georgia after the toddler was found outside alone. Officer Hurst decided to stay when he saw how much distress the child was in. Having been found wandering alone, the toddler had to have an examination, and was crying and scared. Officer Hurst took the child in his arms and laid on the hospital bed so the toddler could be comforted.
This officer and father takes his dedication to the community seriously. "This job is so much more than just chasing the bad guys. It is about serving the citizens of the communities that you work in and doing what they need you to do."
At the end of his rope
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Tim Purdy was dispatched to address an 18-year-old autistic young man who had left his school grounds and was possibly suicidal. The officer spent almost a half-hour chatting with the young man, even getting him to laugh.
Rob Tufano, a spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said, "He even got him laughing, and got him back with his mom and with school officials.” When the photo above was shared, it received more than 640,000 likes and over 250,000 shares, with the public expressing happiness overseeing an officer take time to care.
A Place to lay his Head
In Sumter, South Carolina, police officer Gaetano Acerra responded to a call made by Cameron Simmons, thirteen years old, who told the officer he didn't want to live at home anymore. After learning that the young man slept on an air mattress that deflated as he slept, and had back pain as a result, Simmons wanted to do something. And he did. He returned a week later with a bed, a desk, a chair, and a television.
A person who heard the story donated a game system for the teen also. Young Simmons wrote a sweet thank you note to Officer Acerra, saying "Thank you for helping. You did a great job helping people. You are brave."
Playing Games
When the photos of a Danish officer and young Syrian girl were originally posted on Reddit, the poster titled them "Danish Police Officer Has Had Enough of Syrian Girl Who Crossed the Border Illegally." The joke is bittersweet and shows how kind and lovely the young officer is being to the young girl, playing various games with her and entertaining her as she waits for her parents.
The officer declined to be named although the media was able to track him down. Commissioner Knut Reinhold said “We have to deal with children who have experienced a lot of things and who have traveled far, so if we can make life a little easier for them, as in the pictures, then it's worth it. It does not cost anything.”
Delivering Christmas Cheer
In North Carolina, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers from the Hickory Grove Division deliver presents at Christmas. It's called Toys for the CMPD Explorers Christmas Project, and police officers both donate and deliver toys to families that can’t afford them at Christmas time. Almost 2,000 families benefit from this generous program.
Sgt. Chris Copp said to the NC Charlotte Observer, "We don’t want a child’s first experience with a police officer to be when they are in trouble. We want to get rid of that stigma, and we want them to feel comfortable and safe coming up to a police officer," he said. “It’s events like this that let us go into homes, where kids can see police officers are regular human beings, just trying to do kind things.”
He Paid For This Traveling Family's Hotel
Robert Wood and his family were in the process of moving back to Oregon from Alaska. Tired from spending days on the road with two young children, Robert and his wife pulled off the interstate to catch some sleep in their car that they parked in a city park. Money was tight for the family, who couldn't afford to put themselves up in a hotel for the night, so they snuggled in and tried to rest up.
That’s when police lieutenant David Natt spotted the car and told Robert he would need to move. But while talking to Robert, he noticed the parents two young boys asleep in their laps. Instead of writing them a ticket for trespassing, Natt put them up in a cozy motel for the night and paid for the room himself.
