A retiring police chief fought back tears of pride when his wife surprised him on his final sign-off call after 27 years of service.
Scott Byrnes joined Redford Township Police Department in Michigan nearly three decades ago before working his way up the ranks to Chief of Police.
His wife Lisa works as a 911 dispatcher – a role often responsible for making the final callouts for retiring officers – which provided Scott’s family with the perfect opportunity for a send-off surprise.
At the township’s police station, an unsuspecting Scott, 51, who had no idea about the surprise, sat down and was handed a radio for his final call.
When he heard Lisa’s voice on the other end of the transmission, he immediately teared up, with Lisa praising her husband’s “devotion to this community” and “dedication to this police department.”
Lisa, 47, then went on to read out Scott’s achievements as their daughter, Michaela, captured her dad’s emotional reaction on video.
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A proud Michaela later shared the video online, where it received over eight million views.
She said: “Typically, dispatchers are the ones to do final callouts for officers, so this was even more special that my mom was the one to do it.
“My dad is not a crier but the world’s sweetest person with a lot of care in his heart, so seeing him get emotional hearing my mom’s voice was such a sweet, unforgettable moment I was able to be a part of.
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“I remember turning around after the video was over and seeing everyone in the room crying just as hard as I was.
“He was so loved by all his coworkers and colleagues, and it was so obvious by all the emotion in the room that day.
“The outpouring of support in response to this video has been nothing short of amazing.
“I know how much he appreciates all the positivity coming from the video.”