...a picture we took on the day Chance received the Lifesaving Medal With Valor for rescuing a driver from a crashed car that had caught on fire.
This photo used to be one of my favorites.
Now looking at it makes me cry.
Because in July, the same city that gave Chance this award...
...will try to lock him up for life for doing his job.
I should explain.
For nearly 13 years, Chance has been a decorated police officer with the Austin, Texas Police Department.
But in May of 2020, our lives were turned upside down.
You probably remember what it was like in our country after George Floyd. Violent, fiery anti-police protests were sweeping through cities.
Every step of the way, they were cheered on by radical politicians, Soros-funded prosecutors, and the Mainstream Media who lied to us and said, with a straight face, that these riots were "mostly peaceful."
It was especially bad here in Austin, Texas.
For three nights in a row, angry, anti-cop mobs rampaged through downtown, smashing windows, burning police cars, and looting stores. The crowd attacked officers like my husband who were trying to keep the peace, pelting them with rocks, bricks, and even lit fireworks.
On the third night, things got even worse.
Protestors shut down interstate, and a crazed mob surrounded Police Headquarters.
Chance and his fellow officers knew that if they didn't restore order quickly, the headquarters, and maybe even the entire city, might burn to the ground.
Following their training, they fired non-lethal weapons – the same "beanbag guns" that police have used for years to break up riots – to stop the violence before it got out of hand.
The mob slunk off.
And my husband made it home safe and sound.
What I didn’t know then was that this nightmare wasn't over for us.
Far from it.
Unknown to Chance and the other officers on duty that night, an anti-police protestor was hit by one of my husband's non-lethal rounds. They claimed they were injured and lost part of their finger.
And for that...
...the county prosecutor charged my husband with "aggravated assault by a public servant" -- a charge punishable by life in prison.
This is the upside-down world we live in now.
A world where lawless thugs who fling rocks at police and try to burn our city to the ground get off scot-free...
...while law-abiding officers get criminal charges and face life in prison for following their training and breaking up a mob of rioters.
What are cops like my husband supposed to do when faced with this kind of out-of-control violence?!
When Chance told me about the charges, my emotions went from disbelief to anger to despair...and back again.
But it all started to make sense when we learned that the prosecutor in this case owes his election to a wad of campaign cash from none other than radical Leftist billionaire George Soros.
That was when I realized that the anti-cop crowd is trying to get revenge on my husband.
They don't care if my husband is innocent.
They'll do everything in their power to make cops pay.
It makes me wonder why anyone would ever sign up to join law enforcement these days.
But nearly 13 years ago, my husband did.
And he did it because helping innocent people is in his blood. His brother is a firefighter. His dad is a 34-year police veteran.
My husband is a youth leader at our church and plays guitar in the worship band.
He's served on mission trips -- planting churches, planning vacation Bible schools, and sharing the Gospel.
And he's done his job as a police officer with honor and dignity, without a single mark against his record.
Chance put his life on the line to protect our city from a violent, unhinged mob...
...and life behind bars and could be his "reward."
Even if my husband's good name is cleared there is no way we could hope to pay the mountain of legal bills.
Thankfully, by God's grace, there is one group who has stepped up to help us -- the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF).
If you've ever heard of LELDF, you know that their record has made them a policemen's best friend.
Jason Johnson and the LELDF board organize and fund the successful legal defense of good cops wrongly charged for crimes -- like my husband.
LELDF hires the best attorneys and secures expert witnesses who will testify to the truth -- without being influenced by political paybacks.
And now they've agreed to help Chance.
My friend, you've read my letter this far so I'm going to ask as boldly as I can:
Will you help Chance, too?
Would you help by sending a one-time gift to LELDF so this amazing group can defend my husband and the other good police officers who have wrongly accused?
You see, LELDF is a non-profit organization.
They rely entirely on the generosity of kind-hearted folks like you to defend the men and women in blue who defend us.
So with that in mind, please know that any contribution -- be it $35, $100, $500 or even $1,000 -- is tax-deductible.
But whatever you feel led to give, please end it back quickly.
Chance's trial starts on July 7th.
Our legal team needs to be working day and night getting ready for his defense.
Because if Chance is found guilty...
...he'll spend every wedding anniversary, birthday, and Christmas for the rest of his life in prison.
He won't be able to take our sons to football games or teach them how to drive...
He won't be able to walk our daughter down the aisle somebody...
I can't bear the thought of life without him.
And I know what happens to former police officers when they get locked up with thousands of criminals.
My only hope of saving him today is good-hearted patriots like you.
So please, my friend, rush back your gift right away if possible.
With this radical Soros-funded prosecutor on the warpath, your gift of $35 -- or any amount -- could be the difference between Chance clearing his good name...
...and spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Thank you for reading my email today with such a generous spirit.
I can never express how grateful I am to you -- in advance -- for helping my husband fight back.
