In an auction held to raise money for Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), a charity fund that helps the families of fallen officers, a 2010 Dodge Charger was put on the bidding floor. But, this Charger wasn’t just any other car, especially not to Tanner Brownlee.
This Charger was the service vehicle used by his late father, fallen Weld County Sheriff’s deputy Sam Brownlee who was killed in 2010 during a shootout. Tanner went to the auction hoping to place the winning bid. Though, he was certain he wouldn’t have the money to do so. He was right.
The $12,500 car was eventually sold for $60,000, the bid placed by local rancher Steve Wells. But, that isn’t the end to this story. Wells came forward, took the keys from the auctioneer and - without delay or hesitation - gave the keys to the policeman's survivor and said “Tanner, here’s your car.”
The Brownlee family, along with the rest of the room, were overcome with emotion as this outcome utterly defied their expectations. “This is huge,” said Tanner, who has fond memories, like helping his father build a fence. He said that having “something I can use and drive around what he drove around, it just means a lot.”
Wells had never before met the Brownlee family, but he can certainly go on knowing that he has made a hugely positive impact on their lives with his massive act of kindness.