Last week with the grand jury announcement in the Breonna Taylor case, protests and tensions between citizens and police reached new heights.
A chance encounter with Columbus police changed a mother of two's perspective.
“Being an African American woman, it is very hard not to feel pain when that is happening because that could have been me,” Shaneca Smith said.
Last Thursday, Smith says all she could think about was Taylor. As she was dropping off her boys to school, her car stopped.
“I ran out of gas. I was sitting there and thinking, 'oh my God. I have a gas can, let me run over here to the gas station.' I saw the officers drive past. My heart sank because I have always tried to avoid interactions with the police,” Smith explained.
It was rush-hour on a very busy Georgesville Road.
“We saw her with the gas can, two young kids and said oh no, this isn't good,” Columbus Police Officer Justin Crites said.
The rookie cop and the seasoned veteran pulled up behind Smith.
“Officer Null, I think he saw my hesitation. He got out of the car and he was like, 'no we are just here to help.' It was that humanity, that interaction that came,” Smith said.
Officer Jim Null stayed with Smith’s two boys as officer Crites took her to get gas.
When they came back, they had an honest conversation.
“She said 'I was just terrified when you guys pulled up.' She talked to me about how she was feeling with the announcement in the Breonna Taylor case was fresh in her mind,” Null said.
“I was harboring that pain. I could have continued to harbor that pain and God said no. He said let me put these two officers in your path to show you, to give you hope,” Smith said.
A chance for learning and understanding.
“I've been doing a lot of soul searching recently myself and trying to understand how other people feel outside of my own intensions. I know what my intentions are, but someone I'm talking to, doesn't,” Null explained.
“They touched my heart,” Smith said with a smile.