Lt. Richard Powell Jr. said he thought about a military career like his father's, but he fell in love with law enforcement before he graduated from high school.
As a high school student in 1976, he took part in a law-enforcement career program set up through the Boy Scouts of America. He would ride along with police officers, direct traffic at intersections and even go on car chases with police.
"It's one of those things that gets in your blood," Powell said. "You love to help people, and you love to fight crime."
For Powell, the passion never waned. After more than 33 years with the Pulaski County sheriff's office, Powell will retire at the end of the month.
"It's been my family for the last 33 1/2 years," he said.
After high school, Powell, 54, joined the Jacksonville Police Department as a civilian employee. He became a Pulaski County deputy in 1983.
In the '80s, Powell said an increase in gang activity made law enforcement work that much more dangerous.
"We pulled guns off of people every day," he said. "And it's not near as prevalent today as what it used to be."
In the mid-1990s, Powell was hit by a vehicle after conducting a raid on a corner known to be where cocaine and phencyclidine, also known as PCP, was sold. Standing in the middle of the road, Powell had a suspect in custody when a man in a Ford Bronco came speeding out of the neighborhood thinking deputies were after him.
The Bronco driver hit one deputy, leaving the imprint of a 12-gauge shotgun in the front of the SUV, and then struck Powell with the right side of the vehicle, throwing him into a ditch, Powell said.
"You didn't know if you were going to live or die at the time of it," he said. "You were fighting for your life."
Powell said deputies shot the driver when he began to turn around to come back at them.
Powell said the driver had a wound that shouldn't have been fatal, but he fled from the scene and bled out.
During his career, Powell was also involved in the sheriff's water patrol unit and the department's K-9 unit, tracking suspects and helping find illegal drugs in vehicles.
One time in the '90s, Powell found himself tracking a murder suspect in Pope County with Bento, his police dog.
"They thought the suspect went one way, and my dog said he went the other way," Powell said.
After 12 hours of tracking, Powell said he finally found and arrested the suspect.
Powell will end his career as a Pulaski County lieutenant in the Southwest District.
Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay said Powell's work in the position has been essential to developing a strong connection between the department and the community.
"He's been a real asset to the sheriff's department," he said, adding that Powell seems to know most of the people who live in the Southwest District.
Sheriff's office spokesman Capt. Carl Minden, who had Powell as a direct supervisor when he started, said Powell and the experience he brings to the office will be missed.
"The knowledge he has goes with him at a certain point," Minden said. "As a person, Richard will give you the shirt off of his back."
Powell said his career in law enforcement has had an impact on his family life.
The odd hours that come with the job can cause deputies to miss a number of family events -- basketball games, Christmas, Thanksgiving.
"When the phone rings, you go. You drop everything you're doing," Powell said, adding that calls for service can come while in bed, at football games or out to dinner.
While it's going to be hard to slow down after so many years in law enforcement, Powell said he's looking forward to his retirement and plans to spend more time with his grandchildren -- not to mention some fishing.
"I've enjoyed my career," he said. "I think I've made a difference."
Metro on 06/27/2016