JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — While tensions between police and demonstrators have heated up in many areas, some police officers have shown solidarity.
Hundreds of people in Johnson City marched this week in response to the death of George Floyd. Washington County, Tennessee deputy David Cate was on the scene to help keep the peace.
“There was just a lot of tension on both sides," he said.
As the crowds began to form, Cate said he saw a man with pain in his eyes.
“I could see the frustration, and I felt God speak to me and tell me that I needed to go talk to him," said Cate.
That man was Mark Karluah. He had gone to Johnson City to peacefully protest.
“The moment he came up to me ... that meant leaps and bounds to me, that meant the world to me," said Karluah. "That he would see me in the middle of the crowd and say, 'Sir I see you and see what you're fighting for.'"
Shortly after, photos were taken of David and Mark hugging each other. It is a moment both men say they will remember forever.
“I told him, look, I have a black niece, and I love her so much and I care about her, and I hate that this stuff is going on and we need to make a change," Cate said. "We need to make it better. We need to work together. We can do this.”
Karluah said he was thankful to Officer Cate for taking the time to listen.
“When he started talking about the realization, and how much he understood, I could see the sincerity in his eyes, and felt the sincerity in his heart," he said. "I broke down ... looking at him eye-to-eye I never can say I looked at a cop and saw understanding.”
As protests continue it's important to note that while there are times of frustration, there is also hope.
“I truly believe we have a lot of good officers out there," said Cate. "We have a lot of good people in the community, and if we learn to work together, we can make a difference and we can make a change for the good.”
"If you’re out there fighting, don’t fight with violence," said Karluah. "We're not rioters. We're fighting in a way of peaceful protest. We come together and we don’t break apart, as soon as we break apart our words become weak.”