Quilts for Cops volunteer Raylene Mason presented this quilt to Frank Thurman, right, chief of the Tracy Police Department. At left is Tracy patrol officer Chris Slatier. Thurman was injured in the line of duty in late October during a police pursuit incident. The chief suffered two broken wrists and a lacerated finger, and required surgery. The chief was outside of his vehicle and had placed spike strips on the road in order to stop the pursuit. According to authorities, as the GMC truck approached the chief’s car, the driver of the GMC drove directly into the front driver’s side of the Tracy police car. After the impact, the patrol car struck the police chief and threw him about 12 feet back, where he landed on the asphalt. Quilts for Cops makes quilts for injured officers “to comfort you during the healing process following your line-of-duty injury. It is a token of our deep respect, admiration, and gratitude for the sacrifices you have made in service to the community,” according to the organization. The quilt for Thurman was made by Quilts for Cops volunteers in the Kansas City area. The quilt top was pieced by Raylene Mason of Platte City and machine quilted by Sherry Coulter of Tonganoxie, Kan.
Contributed photo