Note: Usually I reserve End Of Watch (EOW) posts for peace officers and other public servants who lose their lives in the line of duty. I am making an exception today. Sheriff Gary Painter did not die during the performance of his duties, but he truly gave his life to the people of Midland County while serving as sheriff for over three decades. I believe it is right to honor Sheriff Gary Painter with an EOW post on these pages.
I had awakened for some reason around 4 AM this Sunday, and I happened to glance at my I - phone which was lying on a night stand. The news alert app was flashing, and I opened it out of habit. There was Sheriff Painter's picture, and all I could make out of the news headline were the words "passes away." Grabbing my glasses, I read the headline again...yes, Sheriff Gary Painter had died in his sleep just after midnight...
In the days since Sheriff Painter's passing, many law officers and others have written page after page expressing both their shock at his sudden death, and their praise for the life of the great man and his career, but especially of his service to the community. Gary Painter served as a member of the United States Marines during the Vietnam War. After his service in the armed forces, Mr. Painter joined the Texas Department of Public Safety. He later served as a sheriff's deputy in two West Texas counties before joining the Midland County Sheriff's Office in 1982. Just three years later he ran for, and was elected, Sheriff in 1985. He served in that capacity ever since.
As I said, many peace officers and local dignitaries have already written about Gary Painter, and there is nothing I can add regarding Sheriff Painter's career. Instead I will just mention a couple of contacts I had with Sheriff Painter over the years. I met Sheriff Painter in 1991 when I was thinking about applying with the Sheriff's Office for employment. Although I never went to work for the Sheriff's Office, I was instantly impressed with Sheriff Painter. And this is no exaggeration...the Sheriff never forgot my name or my face. He always called me Mr. Meeks after that first meeting.
A year or so later I bumped into the Sheriff and asked his feelings about the (then) new law allowing concealed firearm carry for those who sought and obtained a gun permit. Sheriff Painter said, "Personally I don't believe in "state license" to carry a gun. The United States Constitution gives everyone the right to bear arms, and I never did see how Texas or ANY state could require its citizens to get a license to carry a gun." Gary Painter was a very strong supporter of the Second Amendment, as well as all the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. I loved it! I never voted for any other candidate for sheriff after that.
In 1999, I was employed with Texas Children's Protective Services. I had transferred back to Midland after working in the Austin office for nearly two years. I had not seen the Sheriff since my encounter with him in 1992. I happened to be in the Midland County courthouse for one reason or another, and I saw Sheriff Painter in one of the hallways. I waved at him and he said, "Hello, Mr. Meeks." After that I was convinced he had a near photographic memory, at least a great memory of faces, and the names that went with those faces.
One day I saw another side of Sheriff Gary Painter. On October 9, 2014 at around 1:00 PM I passed sheriff's deputy Sergeant Michael Naylor in the emergency room at our local hospital. Mike had just received an emergency call ever his radio, and the last thing I said to him was "Be careful!" Less than an hour later Michael Naylor was dead, slain by barricaded suspect even as Sergeant Naylor was trying to talk him into peaceful surrender. At Sergeant Naylor's funeral, Sheriff Painter seemed like he had lost his own family member as he honored the fallen deputy, then did a final role call for Sergeant Naylor. That day Sheriff Painter openly wept as he held Mrs. Naylor in his arms. He openly prayed for her and all those hurting that day, and he openly acknowledged that only God could truly comfort Michael's loved ones in those first dark hours and days after his death.
Little did I know that only seven days ago I would see Sheriff Painter for the last time. That day, the Sheriff came to the local emergency room after the patrol vehicle one of his deputies was driving was struck by a train, as the deputy was responding to an emergency call. As on the day Sergeant Naylor died, Sheriff Painter was concerned about the injured deputy almost as if the deputy has been his own son. The Sheriff frantically asked me if he could leave his pickup parked at the emergency entrance briefly while he went to check on the deputy. I told him that it was fine. Sheriff Painter then went into the emergency room. Nearly half an hour later Sheriff Painter came out and moved his pickup, but only to a nearby law enforcement parking slot. Then he was back inside. Very luckily, the officer escaped a potentially fatal accident with only minor cuts and bruises. But the Sheriff did not leave the hospital until he knew the deputy was safe.
Sheriff Gary Painter, as the many tributes tell us, was well respected within local, state, and national law enforcement circles, and rightly so, but he was respected by civilians as well. As prominent as he was in law enforcement, and as busy as he was with his duties, Sheriff Painter was never too busy to help people in need. I recall one day, now over a decade ago, that a house was on fire near my residence. I happened to be driving by and I saw that there was only one fire truck on the scene, and the firemen were still pulling hose and equipment off the fire engine. They had only just arrived. The next "unit" to arrive was Sheriff Painter. Without hesitation, he joined the volunteer firemen in their effort to save the house. Unfortunately, the house was nearly fully engulfed when that first truck arrived, and was a total loss when the fire was finally extinguished. But to the end, there was Sheriff Painter, helping when he could, and comforting the family when it was obvious that the home could not be saved.
Sheriff Painter will be laid to rest tomorrow. I pray that the Good Shepherd continue to comfort his family, his loved ones, and his officers as they all carry on without him. The Thin Blue Line in Heaven has one more officer in its midst tonight, a bigger-than-life lawman, and a true servant of the people of Midland County.
I had awakened for some reason around 4 AM this Sunday, and I happened to glance at my I - phone which was lying on a night stand. The news alert app was flashing, and I opened it out of habit. There was Sheriff Painter's picture, and all I could make out of the news headline were the words "passes away." Grabbing my glasses, I read the headline again...yes, Sheriff Gary Painter had died in his sleep just after midnight...
In the days since Sheriff Painter's passing, many law officers and others have written page after page expressing both their shock at his sudden death, and their praise for the life of the great man and his career, but especially of his service to the community. Gary Painter served as a member of the United States Marines during the Vietnam War. After his service in the armed forces, Mr. Painter joined the Texas Department of Public Safety. He later served as a sheriff's deputy in two West Texas counties before joining the Midland County Sheriff's Office in 1982. Just three years later he ran for, and was elected, Sheriff in 1985. He served in that capacity ever since.
As I said, many peace officers and local dignitaries have already written about Gary Painter, and there is nothing I can add regarding Sheriff Painter's career. Instead I will just mention a couple of contacts I had with Sheriff Painter over the years. I met Sheriff Painter in 1991 when I was thinking about applying with the Sheriff's Office for employment. Although I never went to work for the Sheriff's Office, I was instantly impressed with Sheriff Painter. And this is no exaggeration...the Sheriff never forgot my name or my face. He always called me Mr. Meeks after that first meeting.
A year or so later I bumped into the Sheriff and asked his feelings about the (then) new law allowing concealed firearm carry for those who sought and obtained a gun permit. Sheriff Painter said, "Personally I don't believe in "state license" to carry a gun. The United States Constitution gives everyone the right to bear arms, and I never did see how Texas or ANY state could require its citizens to get a license to carry a gun." Gary Painter was a very strong supporter of the Second Amendment, as well as all the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. I loved it! I never voted for any other candidate for sheriff after that.
In 1999, I was employed with Texas Children's Protective Services. I had transferred back to Midland after working in the Austin office for nearly two years. I had not seen the Sheriff since my encounter with him in 1992. I happened to be in the Midland County courthouse for one reason or another, and I saw Sheriff Painter in one of the hallways. I waved at him and he said, "Hello, Mr. Meeks." After that I was convinced he had a near photographic memory, at least a great memory of faces, and the names that went with those faces.
One day I saw another side of Sheriff Gary Painter. On October 9, 2014 at around 1:00 PM I passed sheriff's deputy Sergeant Michael Naylor in the emergency room at our local hospital. Mike had just received an emergency call ever his radio, and the last thing I said to him was "Be careful!" Less than an hour later Michael Naylor was dead, slain by barricaded suspect even as Sergeant Naylor was trying to talk him into peaceful surrender. At Sergeant Naylor's funeral, Sheriff Painter seemed like he had lost his own family member as he honored the fallen deputy, then did a final role call for Sergeant Naylor. That day Sheriff Painter openly wept as he held Mrs. Naylor in his arms. He openly prayed for her and all those hurting that day, and he openly acknowledged that only God could truly comfort Michael's loved ones in those first dark hours and days after his death.
Little did I know that only seven days ago I would see Sheriff Painter for the last time. That day, the Sheriff came to the local emergency room after the patrol vehicle one of his deputies was driving was struck by a train, as the deputy was responding to an emergency call. As on the day Sergeant Naylor died, Sheriff Painter was concerned about the injured deputy almost as if the deputy has been his own son. The Sheriff frantically asked me if he could leave his pickup parked at the emergency entrance briefly while he went to check on the deputy. I told him that it was fine. Sheriff Painter then went into the emergency room. Nearly half an hour later Sheriff Painter came out and moved his pickup, but only to a nearby law enforcement parking slot. Then he was back inside. Very luckily, the officer escaped a potentially fatal accident with only minor cuts and bruises. But the Sheriff did not leave the hospital until he knew the deputy was safe.
Sheriff Gary Painter, as the many tributes tell us, was well respected within local, state, and national law enforcement circles, and rightly so, but he was respected by civilians as well. As prominent as he was in law enforcement, and as busy as he was with his duties, Sheriff Painter was never too busy to help people in need. I recall one day, now over a decade ago, that a house was on fire near my residence. I happened to be driving by and I saw that there was only one fire truck on the scene, and the firemen were still pulling hose and equipment off the fire engine. They had only just arrived. The next "unit" to arrive was Sheriff Painter. Without hesitation, he joined the volunteer firemen in their effort to save the house. Unfortunately, the house was nearly fully engulfed when that first truck arrived, and was a total loss when the fire was finally extinguished. But to the end, there was Sheriff Painter, helping when he could, and comforting the family when it was obvious that the home could not be saved.
Sheriff Painter will be laid to rest tomorrow. I pray that the Good Shepherd continue to comfort his family, his loved ones, and his officers as they all carry on without him. The Thin Blue Line in Heaven has one more officer in its midst tonight, a bigger-than-life lawman, and a true servant of the people of Midland County.
