RICHMOND, Va. -- One traffic stop turned into a powerful display of compassion as a state trooper prayed for a father with cancer.
In the picture, a North Carolina state trooper is seen holding the hand of a man in a car stopped for speeding.
Dr. Ashlye Wilkerson and her family members were heading home from Duke University Hospital with their father Deacon Anthony Geddis who was battling stage 4 colon cancer.
"He was very weak but he cleared his throat, he said in a low, strained voice, he told the officer that I was taking him back from his chemo treatment," Wilkerson said.
This insight really touched officer Jarad Dowdy who would become emotional.
"Because he too had a bout with a condition where he had to remove his colon to prevent colon cancer. So he was very well aware of what my dad was going through," Wilkerson said.
He would then ask permission to pray with Ashlye's dad.
"Grabbed my dad's hand and he lead the prayer. Unbeknownst to them, I took the picture. And at the end of the prayer, my dad opened his hand and the officer left a silver metal cross in his and he told him, you know, safe travels and you have someone else praying for you and with you on this journey," Wilkerson said.
A few months later when her dad passed away, Ashlye shared the picture for the first time. Shortly thereafter, thousands of texts, emails and calls would follow.
"It captured the attention of over seven million people on LinkedIn. It was featured on CNN, it was featured in Fox News, it was featured on Apple News, Yahoo News. It has been in 20-plus publications. So, my dad, Anthony Tony Geddis is known all over the globe," Wilkerson said.
For Ashlye, the picture represents a lot of different things.
"My dad's strong faith. My dad was a praying man, my dad was a devout Christian. The second thing that it meant to me was the power of humanity. The officer did not have to pray with my dad and he didn't have to be intentional with his listening. He didn't have to be obedient and didn't have to show care and concern but he did. My dad's example of fatherhood. In his sick days and in his final moments and in his weakened state, he wanted to protect me," Wilkerson said.
In honor of her father, Ashlye is collaborating with the nonprofit Serve & Connect which is dedicated to bringing police and communities together to foster positive change.
They plan to honor law enforcement in departments all across the country, including Richmond, on a monthly basis. Citizens will have the opportunity to nominate police officers for a humanitarian award that is now named after Ashlye's father.
The first person to get the award when it is given out will be the North Carolina trooper who prayed with her father. When the nomination period begins, CBS 6 will provide an update so citizens can nominate any officer who they see going above and beyond.
More details about the organization can be found here.
