This cop and his family did not expect that they would be spending Christmas without a home. The fire reduced everything to ashes, except for a Bible that remained intact and completely undamaged.
“When we got here, both sides were still up. The middle was wide. It was already gone,” IMPD officer Michael Price told Fox 59 News. He and his family were left with only a pile of burned debris when they arrived at their house last December 23.
When the fire broke out, the cop was with his son and his girlfriend at a Pacers game. “It was about halftime at the game, and we got the call,” he told WTHR-TV. “A relative drove by because he lives close, and him and the neighbors called saying, ‘Your house is fully engulfed.'”
They immediately rushed home but sadly, it was too late to save their dog, Gus. “You think you want to run in and save what you can. Pets, we had a pet in there,” he said.
This IMPD officer helps people in times of emergencies. He has been serving as an officer for 14 years now. “Unfortunately, it was way too gone at that point. You literally just watch everybody do their job, and you sit back as the victim this time,” he sadly recalled.
They lost everything. Even Michael’s duty belt, gun, and handcuffs were all engulfed by the flames. “It was tough,” he said.
A few days after the fire broke out, he tried to find items he could still keep. He stumbled upon a nightstand drawer, and found a Bible inside. The Bible has been with his family for decades now. Surprisingly, it was intact and untouched by the flames. “There’s not even a mark on the pages,” he described. The undamaged Bible is a ray of hope for this family.
Then, help started to pour in from friends, neighbors, and even strangers. It’s now the community’s turn to show their support to this cop who served them all these years.
“When something hits you at home, and then the response we’ve gotten that really just hang on it’s not exactly how you’ve been seeing it. There’s plenty of people out there that really have your back,” Michael said.
“We did lose a lot of material stuff; it’s everything you have,” he said. “You have to start over, but the best thing is nobody was home, and we still have what’s important to us.”
The police officer, thankfully, has insurance and stays with a family member in the meantime. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A fundraising initiative has also been set up at Professional Police Officers Credit Union. A GoFundMe page has also been initiated, and they aimed to raise $10,000. They have already gone beyond that. They were able to raise around $20,000.
One reaps what he sows. This police officer has planted many seeds of kindness by helping others. Now, it’s time for him to reap, and these people he has served are now helping him back.
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