The Gentle Giant

Angel Statue

Brunswick, GA 2010

John 15:13 NIV

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Police Specialist David  H. Massel, age 37, of the Woodlawn Police Department, a suburb just north of Cincinnati, Ohio, was my friend.  I worked at a convenience store at the intersection of three police districts on Springfield Pike in 1985. Often I worked 3rd shift, and that's where I met David.

David and other officers on duty would meet at my store around 11:00 p.m. to talk about their shifts, drink my fresh coffee, and finish up any of the stale donuts I had left over from the day.

We had a great time from about 11:00-11:20 talking to each other. We caught up on each other's families, we teased each other, and we became friends.

David worked hard in the community during the day. He was active with youth groups and was a role model for young people. He went into schools and worked with kids. He was the pride and joy of his mother.

The community called him the "Gentle Giant" because he was a big guy with a heart as large as his laugh. He was a gourmet cook and loved to have friends over to his house to eat.

He covered for a friend of his on the night of February 8-9, 1985, twenty-six years ago. 

I was also scheduled to work that night.  By 11:00 p.m., the officers had not arrived at my store. At 11:30, they were not there. I worried. They'd never been this late before. 

Finally, after midnight, one of the officers from Wyoming's district arrived at the store pale and unnerved. He broke the news to me that David had been hit head on two hours into his shift by a drunk driver speeding 100 miles an hour over a hill.

The driver crossed center and plowed into David as he was driving 25 miles an hour along the road with his lamp focused on businesses making sure they were safely secure for the night.

David's life and death has inspired me to speak out against driving while drunk. Throughout my career, I have been involved in school groups to discourage students from drinking and driving.

I have always remembered David and his sacrifice for the community he loved so much.

My husband works with law enforcement officers, although he is not one himself.  We have friends who are in the law enforcement field. I respect them and value their sacrifices for our community.

God knows there is no greater love than to give your life for a friend, but police officers are also willing to lay down their lives for complete strangers.

Unfortunately, some of them, like my friend, David, don't make it home to their families at the end of their watch.

This is a link to a memorial site for David:
Specialist David H. Massel
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Lord, protect those whose job it is to protect us. Bring them safely home to their loved ones.