Losing someone so dear to your heart is probably one of the most painful (if not the most painful) events that could happen to your life. Not only that you lose the chance to see and be with them again but the moments you had with them will become just memories from the past.
Nobody wants this kind of feeling, not me, not you, not anyone.
This hurts ten folds more, especially for children. To them, losing either of their parents is a nightmare.
Unfortunately, this is what exactly happened to a family.
Back in 2010, the Brownlees lost their father, Sam.
He was once Weld County Sherriff’s Deputy, a law enforcer with a kind heart. He was killed in the line of duty after trying to arrest a car robber.
When the identified suspect, Rueben Reyes stepped out of the stolen car, deputy Brownlee tried to apprehend him and tackled the suspect. Unfortunately, he was fatally shot by Reyes at close range when the car robber pried away from his own gun.
Eventually, Reyes died after being shot by another police officer from Evans, Colorado.
Deputy Brownlee’s son, Tanner, was just 15 years old when this tragic incident happened.
We can only imagine the pain that this young man had to go through at that moment. What happened was something that even a teenager like him had troubles understanding.
The only thing that was clear to him was that his father’s memories meant everything not only for him but for their family. His father left them a couple of memorabilia but there’s also one thing that they wanted to have.
It was his father’s old patrol car, a Dodge Charger that was worth $12,500!
Five years after his father passed, the car was set to be available at an auction.
Preparing for the auction day, Tanner put up a GoFundMe page but they were only able to collect over $3,000 of donations. They knew it was not going to be sufficient if they really want to bring home their dad’s patrol car.
The day finally came and the Brownlees’ hopes were as high as a mountain. However, the chances of them outbidding everyone else were pretty slim.
“This is a lot for a 19-year-old,” Tanner said to his friends before the auction began.
The bidding then started!
It wasn’t just a mere car that was at stake, it was a precious part of their father’s memory and legacy.
As bids went higher, their hope of bringing the car home was extinguished. The poor young man had no other choice but to watch and congratulate whoever would win the bidding.
The bidding ended at $60,000, it’s almost five times the car’s original price! Tanner’s dad’s patrol car keys ended up in the hands of a rancher named Steve Wells.
“Oh well, we tried,” Tanner said.
Little did he know, he was up for a surprise.
When Wells was handed over the car keys’ he turned to Tanner and what happened next was downright tear-jerking.
“Tanner. Here is your car,” Wells said while handing over the patrol car keys to the son of the fallen deputy. Everyone was stunned for a short while, soon, they showered that beautiful moment with rounds of applause.
In an exclusive interview with CBS4, Wells shared that it was all part of his plan to give Tanner his late father’s car.
“It never crossed my mind not to,” Wells said. “I wanted to hand the keys to that young man.”
Tanner and his family brought home the last piece of their father’s memory. It’s all thanks to a kindhearted man named Steve Wells, who unhesitatingly and selflessly gave the car to where it truly belongs, to the Brownlees.
That day, the event was able to raise $70,000 and the proceeds were all given to Concerns of Police Survivors, also known as C.O.P.S. It’s an organization that helps families of fallen police officers like late deputy Brownlee’s family.
Watch the beautiful moment of giving in the video below.
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