Who is Officer Parker?
A voice Behind A Badge
Officer Gregory Parker was just doing his job the day he chased a suspect who was driving a stolen vehicle. Moments later, with that vehicle wedged between two others, the suspect leapt out and fled on foot. Officer Parker chased after him for 22 seconds, until he tackled the suspect and clicked the handcuffs on.
He had no idea the video of that chase made the news and he never imagined it would go viral. As the notifications lit up his phone the following day, the young Officer unwittingly stepped into a national spotlight.
That spotlight expanded with a call from the hit TV show, Ultimate Tag, and continues to shine today, well after he competed on that show.
Today, Officer Parker is a strong and swiftly rising social media Influence.
Every day he upholds his oath to serve and protect his community in person, and steps forward to bring motivation, insight, and inspiration to his community online.
It would be easy to look at him as he is today – strong, fit, confident, well-known and respected, and think he’s always been that way. But behind the badge and the smile is a story of hardship and challenges that tends to break those without the willpower and grit he has.
The car chase and foot pursuit that was captured on film that day is a completely opposite picture of another car chase he’d been involved in years ago.
Gregory Parker is one of six kids in his family. Periodically homeless, Gregory learned about adversity from a young age. His childhood consisted of a father who thought nothing of using drugs or beating his wife in front of his kids. Young Gregory has vivid memories of seeing his father almost kill his mother, and of being in the car when his father attempted to flee the police. His father crashed the car into a tree and abandoned his kids as he fled on foot.
That was the final push for Gregory’s mom, who took her children and moved to Maryland.
Now a single mother with six kids to provide for, Gregory’s mom spent most of her time and energy working to provide for her family. The void in his life where a father should be, guiding and mentoring his kids, became more noticeable as Gregory grew up. He craved that male role model. Joining the volunteer firefighters in his community served as a way for Gregory to focus on something positive, and also to connect with that male camaraderie he’d always wanted. Over time, he got to know many of the police officers in the community, as their paths and missions often overlapped. The inspiration he felt most strongly came from the police officers, and Gregory decided that would be the path for him.
"Cross the bridge never to burn it, but instead to help those who want to cross it, cross it. In that, we can have peace"
Officer Parker
For years, I have served as a useful source to those seeking inspiration, help, or advice. I finally decided to own that role and be intentional about it. I started writing about my passions, my thoughts, and curious wonderings about our world. I founded The Voice Behind the Badge with a mission to give others a taste of what goes on in my mind, and I have been at it ever since.
Take some time to explore the blog, read something interesting, and feel free to reach out if you would like to collaborate on a project together.