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On December 3, 2021, 37-year-old Jaime Jaramillo and an alleged girlfriend were confronted by Mr. Jaramillo’s wife in a grocery store parking lot in Mesquite, Texas. A domestic disturbance ensured, and the Mesquite Police Department was called. Mr. Jaramillo ended up shooting Police Officer Richard Houston in the chest before shooting himself in the head.

Officer Houston—a 46-year-old husband and father of three, who had been with the Mesquite Police Department for 21 years—died.

Mr. Jaramillo survived.

The Houstons’ oldest child, Shelby, age 18, eulogized her father at his memorial service, held at Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. You can watch a clip of her remarkable message above.

I remember having conversations with my dad about him losing friends and officers in the line of duty.

I have heard all the stories you can think of, but I’ve always had such a hard time with how the suspect is dealt with.

Not that I didn’t think there should be justice served, but my heart always ached for those who don’t know Jesus—their actions being a reflection of that.

I was always told that I would feel differently if it happened to me. But as it’s happened to my own father, I think I still feel the same.

There has been anger, sadness, grief, and confusion. And part of me wishes I could despise the man who did this to my father.

But I can’t get any part of my heart to hate him.

All that I can find is myself hoping and praying for this man to truly know Jesus.

I thought this might change if the man continued to live, but when I heard the news that he was in stable condition, part of me was relieved.

My prayer is that someday down the road, I get to spend some time with the man who shot my father—not to scream at him, not to yell at him, not to scold him—simply to tell him about Jesus.

 

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