It 2015, Poteau Police Officer Jody Thompson responded to a call of child abuse. What he found on scene broke his heart. Two years later, that victim of abuse is now his son – he never wanted to see that child in that situation ever again.
Officer Thompson responded to the call to provide assistance with on duty officers. After seeing what the child had gone through, Thompson knew he could never leave the 8-year-old’s fate to someone else.
“When I seen him. When I seen him in that house..I knew,” Thompson said. The way his previous caretakers treated the young boy was criminal.
Police Chief Stephen Fruen described the case in an interview:
“Based on some of the case facts, when we found him he was bound by his hands and feet with rope and had been submerged in a trash can, held in the shower… [the parents] weren’t feeding him. He didn’t have much to eat. I think what he did get to eat he got at school. Bruises, he was covered in bruises from head to toe.”
Officer Thompson rushed John, the then 8-year-old, to the hospital. The boy was placed in the intensive care unit to recover from the abuse. At that point, Thompson knew he had to do something for the boy.
“He means everything in the world that we live in. He’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. He means the world,” Thompson said.
Thompson and his wife decided to adopt John to give him an opportunity at a good life. Since then, John had excelled wonderfully – the boy is a straight-A student and partakes in advanced programs in school.
However, it doesn’t stop there. While reviewing the case, it was discovered that John’s biological mother gave birth to a baby girl while in jail. The couple decided to adopt her too.
Chief Fruen commended Officer Thompson for his exemplary actions.
“All of us can sit back and say we would do the same in that situation, but to come through with it and to do that, that’s a measure of a man – and a very good police officer,” Fruen said.
This police officer went above and beyond for this child. He deserves all the praise in the world.
Continue Reading