LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB)-- In a sea of new recruits, officially becoming Louisville police officers, stood a man who already saw some of the worst in this world, long before he thought about putting on a badge.
"My background is a little bit deep," said George Wah.
The new LMPD officer is from a place where explosions, people on stretchers, and gunfire were an every day sort of thing.
"I became a victim of war," he said.
It was a civil war in Liberia, where an estimated quarter of a million people were killed during the years violence tore through the streets.
He was only 7 years old when it started, not knowing who to trust, even police.
"They shoot directly into the crowd," Wah explained.
A scarring experience that stays with him to this day, and one that fueled him to get to Iroquois Amphitheater taking the oath.
"These things, it gives me that momentum to be a cop in America, to be able to help people," said Wah.
His swearing-in was a big moment for certain, but the quest continues for a man with perspective, courage, and drive who's been there and now will be here for you.
"I feel like I have achieved everything that I lost 22 years ago," he said. "I believe the Louisville Metro Police Department is where I belong."
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