You’re a sheepdog at heart, driven to protect others. There’s a profound sense of purpose in serving humanity. You feel in control, believing you’re doing important work. Then, in an instant, everything changes. Control is lost, and someone intent on causing you harm steals the work you’ve dedicated years to. This is, in essence, the story of Pampa, Texas Police Sergeant Houston Gass.
What a fitting name for a Texan! I recently had the opportunity to speak with Houston in person, and his story is truly remarkable. On January 6, 2015, Houston responded to a domestic disturbance in Pampa. After ensuring the victim’s safety, he and other officers entered the home to apprehend the suspect. Waiting for them was 30-year-old Ryan John Kelley, who fired a shotgun through a door, striking Houston in the face.
“Thankfully, I never saw it coming,” Houston said. He described the “sixth sense” that many officers develop, a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. “When I went into this house (to arrest an armed suspect), I was ready to kill this guy. I wasn’t ready for him to necessarily, almost kill me.”
He shared more of his story with a crowd of 450 officers at the Bullet Proof Mind Seminar:
I can remember the first thing that went on me was my eyesight. I couldn’t see anything, and I was scared to death that I was blind for the rest of my life.
… My partners played a vital role in my life being saved. The way they drug me out, the way they laid down cover fire, and the way they heroically put themselves on the line for me. I’ll always have a great love for those men right there.
… When the moment chooses you, how ready are you to die?
… Spiritually, I know where I’m going. If I would have died that day, I was ready to go (if need be).
… Yet I wasn’t ready to go (as he talked about steps to be taken regarding death.)
… This has been a long journey for me. Thirteen surgeries, hundreds of pellets that have come out of my face.
… I know one of my goals is to get back wearing that badge, and putting on the duty belt.
… I want to be that guy that got knocked down, then gets back up and says, ‘What else you got?’ But I couldn’t do that unless I had the utmost faith in my Maker and Jesus Christ. Period!
Earlier this year, Houston reported that Kelley was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Houston chooses to be remarkably thankful and refuses to let fear hinder his recovery. Throughout his ordeal, Houston expressed deep gratitude for his family, especially his wife, Jessica. “She saw the ugliness and took care of my injuries when I couldn’t,” he said.
During his recovery, he received the Star of Texas Award from Governor Greg Abbott. While the ultimate reward for him would be to return to duty, that goal has remained elusive. A local reporter interviewed Houston earlier in the year. “We had to sit there and listen to families receive that reward for their loved ones posthumous(ly), and that’s a hard thing to think about,” he said. “You know, whenever you consider that you could actually die doing what you do for a living.”
Houston likened life to being bucked off a horse. “My Dad taught me that if the horse bucks you off, you get back on that horse and you ride again.” Houston Gass is a man of genuine faith—no platitudes, just an attitude of gratitude for God the Father. When someone experiences a trial like this, their faith can become entangled in religiosity or become triumphant in nearly indescribable ways. Houston’s faith is the latter, as he views the scars on his face as part of the healing process. “There have been a lot of doctor visits, but more importantly for me, there’s been a healing in my heart and psychologically and everything that’s allowed me to be able to keep going on a day-to-day basis, and keeps me wanting to go back for more,” he said.
In the YouTube video below, he shares, “Life is honestly, in my opinion, about serving others; selflessly. Being there for them however you can. And making sure they know the love of Christ is in you …”
Among his many surgical procedures, he’s had three surgeries on his jaw that have kept him in almost constant pain, as he previously disclosed. “They had to go in and re-break my jaw,” Houston said. “It was horrible, it was absolutely horrible.” Yet returning to work as a cop is something he hopes will come to fruition one day. “It’s a passion, it’s a love,” Houston said. “It’s something that you’re called to and you got to be willing to do what you’re called to do.”
Until that occurs, Houston will share what he has learned and hopes to inspire others. “We want to make ourselves available to any other injured officers that are out there especially ones that are critically wounded in the line of duty and everything,” Houston said. “You know we want to make sure they know that there’s hope and there is healing. We want to make sure they know that there is a way to survive and even as hard as it is you can make it.”
If you’ve been injured in the line a duty, Houston recommends the following resources:
Houston is not only a man of courage but a person of compassion. He has such a heart for helping others that he provided his email address for anyone who would like to reach out to him personally: [email protected]
Photo courtesy of Houston Gass and Humanizing the Badge.