Yet, mere weeks before his untimely death, Dylan Harrison engaged in a quiet conversation with his father, a conversation based on love, concern, and hopes for the future. He had just gained his certificate as an electrician, giving him a way out of a potentially life-threatening job. His family encouraged him to move away from law enforcement. They wanted him protected. They wanted him home.
But Dylan already knew his answer.
Helping others wasn’t something he decided to do for a career; helping others was who he was fundamentally. Helping others wasn’t something he did as he turned on his service switch; helping others was what connected his whole life together from the very start.
Dylan was only 26, and already he was burdened with more than enough responsibility. He was employed full time with an illicit drug task force, spending his days making his community a safer place for everyone. Seeking to provide more and more for his ever-expanding family, he had accepted a part-time job as a police officer in Alamo, Georgia. He was hopeful this would go toward purchasing a new home for his wife, Heather, and his newborn son – a place where their future would begin.
Instead, that part-time job he took on in order to build a better life became the last shift he would work.
On his first night at work with the Alamo Police Department, Dylan was murdered at approximately 1 a.m. near the Alamo police station. The killing appears to be a form of vengeance related to a previous Taser encounter. However, a 43-year-old man has since been taken into custody and charged with serious offenses.
The community is still reeling from the shockwave that has been caused by this information that Dylan’s family is struggling to come to terms with.
Those who knew Dylan remembered him as a man who brought light into every room. He was always smiling, always joking, always ready to help. “I remember his trademark dimples and his warmness, a quality that made everyone feel safe and seen,” said a friend.
God’s calling in his heart to serve other people started long before Dylan reached adulthood. At a young age, Dylan joined a voluntary fire department because even back then, Dylan was drawn to serving others, meeting their needs even when it meant going into a dangerous situation that others were backing away from.
Now, Dylan will leave behind his wife, Heather, and their infant son, Brody. He will leave behind a child who will know his father through the stories of his strength, his kindness, and his sacrifice. He will leave behind a son who will never know his father’s voice, nor will he ever feel his hug, but whose life will be defined by service and by love. Ultimately, Dylan Harrison opted for service over safety, for others over himself. Although his life was tragically short, the difference he made in the life of his family and in the community he served will extend far beyond his short 26 years.
