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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man whose dream is to become a police officer is planning to share a small symbol of that dream with the family of West Valley City police officer Cody Brotherson, who was killed in the line of duty Sunday.
“(It’s) just to know that we’re here for them, I guess, and there’s a lot of people watching out for them,” 18-year-old Asa Jett said Friday.
Jett is crafting a miniature model police car that looks like the one Brotherson drove.
He has done similar models in years past that were purchased as Christmas gifts for officers and their families. Earlier this year he completed and donated a special "end of watch" model to the family of Unified police officer Doug Barney.
Barney was shot and killed by a fugitive in January.
“It was a cool experience just seeing the joy and the fulfillment, to help out and kind of show my support,” Jett said. “I met the wife later – not that same night – but she really enjoyed it. She gave me a big hug when I was at the sheriff’s office.”
Jett hopes his gift can bring a similar measure of comfort to Brotherson’s family.
“It could happen to anybody,” he said. “Just because there’s not a patrol car outside, they can still have something to remember him with the model car.”
Jett stopped by Brotherson’s patrol car near West Valley City Hall Monday to take pictures of it.
He said he sends the photos to a man in Florida, who then creates decals based on the photographs.
Jett said the models are highly-detailed – down to license plate numbers.
He is hoping to share his work with the family sometime next week.
Jett said the tragedies involving Barney and Brotherson have not deterred him from his aspirations of becoming an officer, which he said he will pursue when he turns 21.
“Of course lights and sirens – that’s the coolest thing, but also just going out and seeing different types of people and helping them,” Jett said. “That’s why I want to be an officer, is just to help people.”
