Council appoints Dean police officer

There was not a dry eye in the house.

It was like that moment when a terribly sad movie you are heavily involved in suddenly and unexpectedly has a happy, joyous ending. The miracle that occurs when the filmmaker somehow elicits from his audience tears of joy, not sadness.

That miracle came toward the end of Mayor Todd Webster’s reading of what Item 7 of last night’s City Council agenda described as "a resolution of the City of Kyle, Texas, acknowledging the contributions of Samantha Elizabeth Dean and her service to the citizens of Kyle through her passionate dedication as victim services coordinator for the Kyle Police Department."

I have not written about the Dean murder until now because it was my belief that the tragedy was a "crime" story and this blog is devoted strictly to "city government." Last night, the city council elevated it to an entirely higher level than anyone outside the council anticipated.

Police Chief Jeff Barnett talked about how Dean told him she had always wanted to be a police officer, and how those dreams were dashed after she was diagnosed with a form of cancer that left her somewhat disabled. "That didn’t slow her down, however, as she chose the next best thing, helping to bring comfort to victims of crime and families facing tragic loss" Barnett said. "

Then, with Dean’s parents, Kelvin and Kimberly, along with her sister, Alex, standing at the podium, Mayor Webster, after calling for a full minute of silence in Dean’s memory, read all the obligatory "whereases" that spoke about her passion, her dedication, her "tireless efforts" on behalf of crime victims, her being "a positive role model," her compassion and her humanity," and then said it is hereby resolved that Samantha Dean was "a valuable member of the City of Kyle."

But he didn’t stop there.

"…and in recognition," the mayor read "of Samantha Dean’s lifelong desire to be a police officer that she be posthumously promoted to a position of honorary police officer for the City of Kyle Police Department, having all honors and benefits bestowed upon her through that position…"

When the mayor said these words, my gaze turned immediately from him to Kelvin and Kimberly Dean. First I noticed Kimberly’s stoic posture wither ever so slightly and Kelvin’s body language betrayed his emotions as well. After that Chief Barnett presented the family with Dean’s police officer badge.

If one brief moment of joy, happiness and celebration can be extracted from an ocean of sorrow, that moment took place at Kyle City Hall last night.