Veteran Cop

by Derek Smith
(Broadview, Illinois)

Sgt. Mickey Kady had worked for the Boxertown police department for 29 years and now he was seriously contemplating retirement. Sgt. Kady had intended to stay on the police force for 36 years in order to collect the maximum amount on his pension, but, over the past 10 years violent crime in Boxertown had increased 500%. For a town with a population of only 5,000 this number was preposterous. Sgt. Kady's wife Kelly Kady, however, wanted him to stay on the police force the extra 7 years despite the growing crime rate. She really wanted her husband to collect the maximum amount on his pension which was 93% of his current salary because that equaled $100,000 a year. Kelly Kady wanted her and her husband to have a very comfortable retirement.

Mickey Kady grew up in Big Forest, Wisconsin which is 20 miles from Boxertown and was the eldest child of 4 children. Mickey's father Paul was an emergency room doctor and his mother Rachel was a 911 dispatcher. Mickey definitely understood what it meant to have a stressful and tense job. As a child, Mickey was taught the value of a good education and hard work. Mickey's father also taught Mickey the value of saving money.

Sgt. Kady dreaded going to work on Fridays as Fridays was the busiest day of the week for the Boxertown Police Department. To make matters worse, he would be working the 3pm-11pm shift which was always the busiest shift. Sgt. Kady was filling in for another sergeant who took the day off. It was 3:01p.m. when the call came blasting over the radio, WE GOT SHOTS FIRED on the 2000 block of 17th Avenue. Two black males were seen running from the scene. The description is as follows: both were 20-26 years old, both had on gray hoodies, both had on white gym shoes, and both were seen with handguns.

Sgt. Kady immediately felt the sharp pain in his left shoulder. He had been shot. Sgt. Kady had a visual on the perpetrator and began firing his 9mm semiautomatic weapon. Sgt. Kady shot the perpetrator twice in the chest and the perpetrator fell to the ground immobile. Sgt. Kady's fellow officers handcuffed the shooter and called for an ambulance. Sgt. Kady would live.

Mickey Kady made up his mind. He was now ready to retire. At 29 years of service to the Boxertown Police Department he would only get 75% of his salary in a pension, however, more significantly he would now have a piece of mind. One month later Sgt. Mickey Kady retired from the Boxertown Police Department with his wife Kelly by his side at a lively retirement ceremony.