For Chattanooga police Officer Josh Wright, being in the right place at the right time is one part luck, one part job description and one part character.
“We’re trained to go into situations that most people don’t want to be involved in,” Officer Wright said.
Officer Wright received praise last year not only for responding first to a child struck by a vehicle, but for helping the boy and his mom by providing items they needed, visiting him in the hospital and letting him sit in his patrol car.
On Dec. 27, Officer Wright was off duty and at Walmart with his wife buying a gift for that child — Jaquez McKinze — when he grew tired of the busy holiday scene and headed to his car while his wife finished picking up items.
As he was leaving the store on Gunbarrel Road, Officer Wright noticed a man leaving with large plasma TVs in his cart. The Walmart greeter attempted to stop the man, who ignored him, so Officer Wright stepped in, identified himself as an officer and asked the man to show his receipts.