June 12, 2022
by David Wright
I remember when Jimmy was hired and first joined the squad I was on at the old Army Radio Station Headquarters. Billy Brown Sr. brought him in from the front desk area and introduced Jimmy to us. We could all tell Billy really liked Jimmy the way he was grinning and slapping Jimmy on the back that that was all the endorsement an officer needed. In the 15 to 20 minutes we were there before leaving for our patrols I think Jimmy was one of the closest friends to every officer in that room - he just had that unique gift coupled with his fabulous smile, twinkling eyes and sincere desire to do a good job.
One of the ongoing jokes in the squadroom was officers would try to sneak up and put their fingerprint, or thumbprint, on a shiney brass butt plate I had on my big old pistol. I believe Jimmy succeeded more than all the rest simply because I loved and enjoyed being around him and he would cover his intention with asking me about something, or wanting me to look at a report. I'd never realize he had just put his big thumb print on it until all the other officers would bust out laughing and ribbing me. I'd look and find it, then start looking around to see who had done it and there would be Jimmy at corner writing a report innocently. It took a few times before I tumbled to Jimmy being the phantom thumb printer. I had to laugh with him simply because you just couldn't get mad at Jimmy.
A few years later we worked together in Traffic Safety and he was a real asset being a school buss company owner/operator/contractor himself. He would talk with other contractors and drivers when they were upset with me or the Board of Ed Transportation office over some enforcement we had taken. In fact Jimmy excelled at meeting with upset citizens over speeding or other traffic issues and in no time with his sunny smile their blood pressure returned to normal as did their speaking volume and he work out the problem. We led local parades, worked a the county fair and handled getting everyone out and on their way home when it shut down each night. We gave safety talks in elementary schools, even high schools, checked the speed of school buses on the road with our RADAr and filled out a report on each check. Often when school buses arrived at a shool parking lot to be ready to take kids home, or drop them off we would be there to do spot inspections of the lights, bus interior for cleanness and the driver's licenses while chatting with them. Volunteer Fire Department events had us present to assist them with traffic control and maintaining the peace and we helped our Explorer Scout program with projects relating to traffic safety and seat belts.
Jimmy was on patrol in he Potomac Heights area and was approaching the Texico Station there on Rt 210. Suddendly all our radio's heard the emergency alert tone followed by a lookout for an armed gunman who had just robbed that Texico Station and fled on foot. Jimmy had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting the fleeing gunman and called it in quickly on his radio as he got out, drawing his pistol and ordering the robber to halt and drop his pistol. Instead the robber turned and fired at Jimmy who returned fire wounding the robber, who turned and continued to flee on foot. Jimmy pursued him keeping him in sight in his cruiser and guiding in his fellow officers responding. When the robber entered a secluded home adjacent Potomac Heights Jimmy took up a position preventing the robber to leave the house undetected by Jimmy as the other responding officers, nearly everyone on the agency, began to arrive and surround the home. The robber was convinced to surrender and to be treated for his gun shot wound. The reason the bullet had not stopped the robber as Jimmy loved to look super sharp in his uniform and a buddy had given him a box of .38 Special copper jacketed ball ammunition. Jimmy shined those bullets in his belt loops every day before coming to work and boy did they shine like jewels. I used to try to get him to buy semi jacketed hollow point ammo because it had far more "stopping" power. The following day when Jimmy came into the squad room his shiny bullets were gone and replaced with semi jacketed hollow point brand new ammo. Jimmy proved his courage in the cool manner he performed that day while under gunfire but Jimmy being Jimmy he deflected all the compliments and praise from all and just was our beloved brother Jimmy!
Though I live far away and have since 1999 when I retired Jimmy has often been in my thoughts and when I learned he was fighting cancer and later was in hospice he was in my daily prayers and thoughts. Though he was suffering I know he was still giving all who visited or attended him that million dollar heart warming smile with his twinkling eyes - That was what eveyone thought of first who ever met Jimmy. I'm sure that when Jimmy was at the gate to heaven he lit up the day for St. Peter and his host of angels with that smile.
I loved Jimmy as if he was my very own brother. He is pain free and watching over us waiting for us to join him and he can put all the thumbprints he wants on me!
Lt David B. Wright #86 CCSO Ret.
The General #86
Las Vegas, NV
One of the ongoing jokes in the squadroom was officers would try to sneak up and put their fingerprint, or thumbprint, on a shiney brass butt plate I had on my big old pistol. I believe Jimmy succeeded more than all the rest simply because I loved and enjoyed being around him and he would cover his intention with asking me about something, or wanting me to look at a report. I'd never realize he had just put his big thumb print on it until all the other officers would bust out laughing and ribbing me. I'd look and find it, then start looking around to see who had done it and there would be Jimmy at corner writing a report innocently. It took a few times before I tumbled to Jimmy being the phantom thumb printer. I had to laugh with him simply because you just couldn't get mad at Jimmy.
A few years later we worked together in Traffic Safety and he was a real asset being a school buss company owner/operator/contractor himself. He would talk with other contractors and drivers when they were upset with me or the Board of Ed Transportation office over some enforcement we had taken. In fact Jimmy excelled at meeting with upset citizens over speeding or other traffic issues and in no time with his sunny smile their blood pressure returned to normal as did their speaking volume and he work out the problem. We led local parades, worked a the county fair and handled getting everyone out and on their way home when it shut down each night. We gave safety talks in elementary schools, even high schools, checked the speed of school buses on the road with our RADAr and filled out a report on each check. Often when school buses arrived at a shool parking lot to be ready to take kids home, or drop them off we would be there to do spot inspections of the lights, bus interior for cleanness and the driver's licenses while chatting with them. Volunteer Fire Department events had us present to assist them with traffic control and maintaining the peace and we helped our Explorer Scout program with projects relating to traffic safety and seat belts.
Jimmy was on patrol in he Potomac Heights area and was approaching the Texico Station there on Rt 210. Suddendly all our radio's heard the emergency alert tone followed by a lookout for an armed gunman who had just robbed that Texico Station and fled on foot. Jimmy had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting the fleeing gunman and called it in quickly on his radio as he got out, drawing his pistol and ordering the robber to halt and drop his pistol. Instead the robber turned and fired at Jimmy who returned fire wounding the robber, who turned and continued to flee on foot. Jimmy pursued him keeping him in sight in his cruiser and guiding in his fellow officers responding. When the robber entered a secluded home adjacent Potomac Heights Jimmy took up a position preventing the robber to leave the house undetected by Jimmy as the other responding officers, nearly everyone on the agency, began to arrive and surround the home. The robber was convinced to surrender and to be treated for his gun shot wound. The reason the bullet had not stopped the robber as Jimmy loved to look super sharp in his uniform and a buddy had given him a box of .38 Special copper jacketed ball ammunition. Jimmy shined those bullets in his belt loops every day before coming to work and boy did they shine like jewels. I used to try to get him to buy semi jacketed hollow point ammo because it had far more "stopping" power. The following day when Jimmy came into the squad room his shiny bullets were gone and replaced with semi jacketed hollow point brand new ammo. Jimmy proved his courage in the cool manner he performed that day while under gunfire but Jimmy being Jimmy he deflected all the compliments and praise from all and just was our beloved brother Jimmy!
Though I live far away and have since 1999 when I retired Jimmy has often been in my thoughts and when I learned he was fighting cancer and later was in hospice he was in my daily prayers and thoughts. Though he was suffering I know he was still giving all who visited or attended him that million dollar heart warming smile with his twinkling eyes - That was what eveyone thought of first who ever met Jimmy. I'm sure that when Jimmy was at the gate to heaven he lit up the day for St. Peter and his host of angels with that smile.
I loved Jimmy as if he was my very own brother. He is pain free and watching over us waiting for us to join him and he can put all the thumbprints he wants on me!
Lt David B. Wright #86 CCSO Ret.
The General #86
Las Vegas, NV