A young police chief walks through tragedy

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, February 27th.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: A young police chief faces tragedy in a small town.

The U.S. has nearly 4,000 police chiefs. It’s always been a tough job—especially since the social unrest and calls for defunding the police in 2020.

BROWN: What’s it like for the highest-ranking officer when his small department suffers in a new way?

WORLD Senior Writer Kim Henderson brings us this report.

AUDIO: [Phone rings] HENDERSON: You take that.

KIM HENDERSON: Alex Miller is a busy man.

MILLER: I don't know yet, brother, I think we're gonna barely have to push that back because Sean's out of town.

At 37, Miller took the reins as police chief in his hometown—Summit, Mississippi. That was two years ago. Miller had been in law enforcement for more than a decade, and he had a big goal for his new department. Visibility.

MILLER: My uncle just loved the yard, and they loved the community. When they got to the point where you don't want to sit on your porch due to the lack of police presence…

One of the ways his department shows their presence is through traffic details, license checkpoints.

MILLER: …anything that just can show your face, let the community know we're here. If a mom is having trouble bucking up her child's restraint seat. We showed a proper way to get that done.

But visibility is challenging when you’re chronically understaffed. That’s why Miller was interested when a seasoned officer named Troy Floyd stepped into his office. Floyd was looking for a change.

MILLER: We sat here, and the conversation went on and on, and then he decided that he wanted to pray for me in my office. It surprised me.

Floyd joined the department. As a Christian, he offered good counsel to the young chief.

MILLER: …helped me understand why I was here. And it wasn't just because of a promotion, it was a calling.

Floyd had skills that benefited the other officers, too.

MILLER: He knew narcotics, and some things that he just had to feel for a lot of us didn't.

Like what to look for during a traffic stop. How to tell when someone is lying.

MILLER: A lot of younger guys look over things, and that's just training and that's growth and development. But when you've been in it for so long, and you know people, it comes natural. It came natural for Troy.

Floyd had an immediate effect on the department.

MILLER: Those guys started reporting to work early, all because of Troy.

It’s a pattern of encouragement Floyd established early in his career. Here’s a 2018 voicemail that Floyd sent an officer after a major drug bust.

FLOYD: That dope you got last night didn’t get into some of our babies' hands. Took it off the street. That money was dope money. That dope money was going to buy more dope. So thank you. Thank you. Not only as a cop, but also as a citizen of this county. I love you, brother.

On August 8th, Floyd and a fellow officer set up an afternoon license checkpoint near the railroad tracks in downtown Summit. Chief Miller was right up the street in his office when his police radio sounded.

MILLER: All we hear is, you know, “Summit 1, shots fired.”

They rushed to the scene and found Floyd lying on the ground. He’d been shot.

MILLER: My lieutenant started to do chest compressions. I used my middle and index fingers to try to stop the bleeding.

They couldn’t wait for an ambulance. They loaded Floyd into their cruiser.

MILLER: My lieutenant was in the front. He's leaning over the seat doing lifesaving measures, and we're trying to just keep him with us as we were probably four minutes away from Southwest Regional Medical Center.

But despite all they did and all the hospital staff did, Floyd died. And a dreadful new task fell on Miller. He had to tell Floyd’s wife.

MILLER: Once she arrived at the hospital, I met her at the car. We went to the family room. I can't stand behind anybody and let them tell her.

It was the first officer death in Summit. Ever. Miller has wrestled with that.

MILLER: It was more of my vision that drew him to me, of being more proactive and getting these guys trained. I feel like my vision created the worst day ever.

But Summit’s mayor reminded reporters that evil can be found everywhere.

MAYOR: Even though we’re a small town, we’re not immune from having these types of events happen here.

Today, a large, framed photograph of Floyd sits across from Miller’s desk. He looks at it everyday.

MILLER: I thought I knew, but now I know that this seat, carries a lot of weight.

In May, he’ll travel to Washington, D.C., to see Floyd’s name on the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Miller says the thought of it puts a knot in his stomach.

MILLER: This is probably going to be the last memorial. I'm going to have to just really just walk up to that monument and tell him bye.

Most small town police chiefs will never navigate the kind of tragedy Miller has. He says it’s taught him a lot. One truth, in particular.

MILLER: You can't replace a Troy Floyd.

But the department still conducts traffic details. The chief has held events that help children get to know his officers. Visibility is still his goal.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kim Henderson in Summit, Mississippi.

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