SALT LAKE CITY -- Nannette Wride remembers a conversation she had with her late husband, Sgt. Cory Wride 16 years ago. The Utah County Sheriff's Officer was shot and killed in the line of duty nearly two weeks ago.
"He and I had that talk: ‘what happens if I get that call?’ He grabbed me by the shoulders and told me ‘Nann, if that ever happens just remember two things, we're sealed for eternity and I died doing something I love just as much as I love you.’"
Nannette Wride said her husband didn't have to die and believes he would still be alive today if his police cruiser's windshield was bullet proof. Their oldest son Nathan Mohler wants every law enforcement officer in the country to have bullet-proof protection and says he'll do everything he can to get President Obama's attention, but he needs the public's help.
"He was big on integrity, he was honorable and courageous, he loved the Lord, but he loved being a police officer, he loved serving people," Nannette Wride said, whose husband died Jan. 30. "There were seven shots, shot at his car. Three of them went through the windshield. Two of them hit him, one him right here, one went through his artery in his neck so he was instantly dead but it didn't have to happen."
Wride's oldest son Nathan Mohler is now teaming up with his mom, fighting for change.
"He didn't die for nothing," Mohler said.
Nannette Wride and Mohler started an online petition at www.whitehouse.gov called "Protect our law enforcement from being shot like Sgt. Cory Wride." Nannette Wride and Mohler want every police cruiser to have a bullet-proof windshield and windows.
"They put their life on the line and we can't even give them our best and that's got to stop," Mohler said.
The Wride family says this is the only way they can begin to heal, knowing they're doing something to protect the men and women in law enforcement after losing their own.
"I think if I can anxiously be involved in a good cause it will help me heal better," Nannette Wride said.
"He did it for service, not for title or for praise or for power, he did it for service. I'm not saying that all officers do that, there are some that do but he wasn't that way. He wanted to help people, that's what he died doing. He thought he was helping somebody," Mohler said of his father.
The suspect, Jose Angel Garcia-Juaregui is now dead. Despite the pain, the Wride family says their hearts are full of forgiveness.
"What I feel is, I know the anguish I'm going through and I know that family is going through the same thing, just because their loved one made a bad choice and did something wrong doesn't mean that the mom didn't lose a son, that the brother didn't lose a brother. My heart goes out to them. I feel no anger," Nannette Wride said.
The petition needs 100,000 online signatures to get the President's attention. They are almost at 5,000 signatures and they have until March 7, less than 30 days to reach their goal.
To sign the petition, click here: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/protect-our-law-enforcemnt-being-shot-sgt-cory-wride/pjMtL3j3
