Column: Heroism happens every day

Heroic acts aren’t random or accidental by nature. They are deliberate. A person has to summon the courage to act bravely and heroically. Even in a split second.

Carson City Sheriff Deputy Carl Howell has proven this. Maybe one day, when a child looks up the explanation of “hero” in the encyclopedia, he’ll see Howell’s name next to it.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hero as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” The Oxford Dictionary refers similarly to a hero as “a person…who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”
Deputy Howell is being remembered today as an individual who meets these definitions in every sense of the word “hero.”

My wife and I were on our way back to Carson City after an early morning appointment in Reno when we saw the massive funeral procession of first-responders transporting Howell’s body to a memorial service in his honor.
My wife, who was driving, almost had to pull over because she was getting teary-eyed. She comes from a family with a rich heritage of servicemen and first-responders.

Me, in my reserved fashion, took everything deep inside and I began to consider the outpouring of support for Howell and his family, evident by the hundreds of first-responder vehicles escorting him to his memorial.
In a word, the sight was humbling; and a reminder to me of who a family, a community and indeed a profession has lost.

Every person who has ever taken an oath to serve and protect — be it the military, fire and rescue, or law enforcement — knows the gravity of this pledge, and how very real the dangers are to life when there is a call for help.

Carson City Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Howell and fellow officers responded to that call in the early hours of Saturday morning, August 15, 2015.

Having worked in law enforcement myself for a few short years back when I was a much younger man, I know that thoughts enter one’s head when a call for help comes in from dispatch. Thoughts like, “I wonder what I will be facing when I get there?” Or, “Where will things stand when it’s over?”

Perhaps that is why I find myself having reflected a lot in the past week. I can relate a little bit to the feelings of Howell’s fellow officers and first-responders.

Howell not only performed his duty at the highest level humanly possible, but he gave his last breath fulfilling his pledge, his oath to serve and to protect. The community of Carson City is safer because of Deputy Carl Howell and his fellow officers who responded to the domestic violence call last Saturday morning.

As I told my wife on our drive home this morning, watching the procession pass by in the northbound lanes of the I-580 freeway, if there is one comfort we all can take from Deputy Howell’s death it is that he died as a hero in action. He was brave to the very end. He was courageous to the very last. His last act as a human being, a professional, a husband and a father was to protect people who cried out for help.

Even though the suspect’s bullet turned out to be fatal for Howell, so, too, was Howell’s round shot at the suspect.

Our community and the victims of last Saturday’s crime are safer thanks to Howell’s final act in this life. He died not simply doing his duty, but acting in a way that protected others from further harm; the victims in the call, the residents in the area, and his fellow officers.

There isn’t a more selfless act known to mankind than one person willing to lay down his or her life for others.
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

For me, that is all that needs to be said to honor and remember Deputy Carl Howell.

I never met the man, and did not even know his name until just a few days ago.

But from what little I’ve learned about him, he was a dedicated officer, devoted and loving husband and father, and the kind of person you’d want watching your back.

To the Carson City Sheriff’s Department, I want to express my deepest appreciation for all you do to keep our community safe by willingly putting your lives on the line. I respect and honor the gravity of the job you are asked to do every day.

To Deputy Howell’s family, I want to express sincerest sorrow for your loss. I can’t even imagine the life you will face without him in your lives.

But I believe that the faith of a tiny mustard seed can move mountains. I believe in hope. I believe in love. And I believe in a peace that passes all understanding.

With Deputy Howell’s passing, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:13, which says, “And now these three remain: Faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Thank you, Deputy Howell, for reminding me what love looks like. It is sacrifice, unconditional, without regard for self, and with full regard for the welfare of others.

Our community is safer because of you.

Your watch may have ended on August 15, 2015 but you will forever be in the hearts and on the minds of the individuals you served and protected.
God bless you for all time.

— Brett Fisher is a writer and cartoonist residing in Carson City. He and his wife, Lisa, have lived in the state capital for over seven years.