There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing those flashing red, white, and blue lights in your rearview mirror. For most people, this is not a very pleasant feeling.
However, one day, while making his usual traffic stop rounds, Corporal Opie Baker of the West Monroe Police Department decided to do something a little different with the help of his friends at United Automation.
“People were kind of nervous and didn’t know if they were breaking the law or not,” Don Ashley, United Automation Sales Manager, said.
“I seen him, he was right behind me, and then he switched over,” Bobbie Davis, a West Monroe resident, said. I said, ‘uh-huh,’ I had this eye on him, then he switched back, and I say, he’s about to pull me over. Sure enough he did.”
No doubt, these drivers were expecting a costly ticket. But, one thing they didn’t expect was who Baker brought along for the ride, Duck Dynasty star Silas Robertson (Uncle Si) who jumped out with a vest and badge to assist the corporal with some very special traffic stops.
They had multiple stops, including one woman who had a tail light out.
“She had hit a deer and didn’t have the $500 deductible to fix her vehicle,” Corporal Baker, said.
So Uncle Si gave her something a little more uplifting than a ticket.
“I got a gift card,” Davis said.
Whether drivers had a broken tail light or made an illegal turn, the last thing they expected was what Uncle Si and Corporal Baker had in store that day. Uncle Si said that his primary mission was to leave drivers with one important message.
“The public needs to know, these guys and gals in uniform are not the enemy, these guys are our protectors, okay, it’s their job to protect and serve us as a nation,” Robertson said.
Although it was a cloudy Tuesday in West Monroe, those lucky drivers left went on with their day wearing bright smiles, and Corporal Baker said it felt nice to get a “thank you” for a change.