BETTER Together by Brooke Ezzo | photo courtesy of Corporal Tank Douglas
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“Always treat people the way you want people to treat your mom.”
hese are the words Corporal Tank Douglas lives and serves by — words his father told him when he entered the police force 20 years ago. These are the words Corporal Tank Douglas lives and serves by — words his father told him when he entered the police force 20 years ago. From a young age, he watched his father wear the police uniform with pride. His shoes were always shined, uniform clean and pressed, and people respected him. Douglas knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. The badge and uniform mean something to Cpl. Douglas. To serve and protect isn’t just a saying but a duty, and as an officer of the law, his goal is to inspire and engage with the community around him. A little over a year ago while on patrol doing traffic, Cpl. Douglas noticed a
car racing down Corinth Parkway. So he proceeded to pull the car over to see what was going on. “When I pulled her over, you could immediately tell she was upset,” Cpl. Douglas said. “I went through the motions and tried to be extra nice, but I could tell something was wrong.” The driver was resident Barb Osborne. Cpl. Douglas asked if he could pray for her. Barb informed him that she had just lost her son to cancer. They spoke for a while about losing those you love and grieving. Cpl. Douglas opened up to her about his struggles over losing fellow police officers in the 2016 Dallas shooting. “We just kind of connected,” Cpl. Douglas said. “It was nothing different than what I would do for someone else, but for her, it
14 | LAKE CITIES LIVING | SEPTEMBER 2020
was something special. And that made it worth it.” Since that traffic stop, Barb and Cpl. Douglas have become great friends. She frequently stops by the department to bring homemade cookies and treats for him. “She immediately made me cookies, which is the key to my heart. They were the best,” Cpl. Douglas said. “It was totally unexpected of her to do that. It took everything in me not to cry. She’s a sweetheart.” They stay in touch frequently through texts, and Barb still stops by on a regular basis to bring him delicious treats and homemade gifts. This friendship formed out of unlikely circumstances and should serve as a reminder that we are all human, we share in similar struggles, and we have the same hurts. After 15 years with the Dallas Police Department, Cpl. Douglas made his way to Corinth. With almost three years under his belt, he loves the slower pace and the opportunities to connect with residents. “It’s like night and day moving from Dallas to Corinth,” Corporal Douglas said. “I love the city, but in Corinth, it’s a smaller community, and it’s like we are part of a family.” Family. Like the words of his father, he will continue to treat those around him as if they were his mother. Cpl. Douglas, his wife, and two daughters live and serve in Corinth. They are dedicated to being active in the community.
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