DATE: Thursday, November 20, 1997           TAG: 9711180142

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: THUMBS UP! 

SOURCE: BY KATHRYN DARLING, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  102 lines

SHOOTING INCIDENT BRINGS HONOR, CHANGES OFFICER'S LIFE

It had been three months. The holes in his leg, where the bullet passed through his thigh, had healed. His chest, sore from the impact of another bullet hitting his vest, had stopped hurting.

Time had passed. And Norfolk Bike Patrol Officer Chris Amos was back at work.

The shooting had happened as Amos and his partner tried to stop a drug deal in the Old Brambleton area of Norfolk. The dealer, 19, had fled. Amos pursued. The suspect turned and fired once into Amos' leg and another time into his chest. By the time Amos hit the ground, he had his gun out, and he and the drug dealer fired simultaneously.

``He missed; I didn't,'' said Amos, a Norfolk police officer for 10 years.

But his first day back on the bike convinced Amos he needed to do something more.

It was the same setting - Old Brambleton. A similar scene - Amos in pursuit and the suspect on the run. And this man also had a weapon - a knife.

But this time, when Amos yelled drop your weapon, the suspect gave up, he said, and the similarities caused Amos to think about his purpose as a police officer. And he asked God and himself, ``Is this what you saved me for?'' he said.

Amos found the answer in the city's PACE SAFE program, where he is a coordinator for the first precinct.

The SAFE program, Spiritual Action For Empowerment, works to develop PACE partnerships with the community of faith.

SAFE is not intended to be a leader in the community of faith, he said, but rather a conduit through which churches can access assistance from various agencies, Amos explained.

In his role as coordinator, he is a facilitator, partner, adviser and liaison to houses of worship in Norfolk.

But he's not an instigator of events or ideas, he said. The city leaves that up to the faith community. He's a consultant.

``We're not going to tell you what to do or tell you how to do it, but we're also not going to make it difficult for someone . . . to show love to the community,'' he said.

Churches are the ones with the answers, said Amos. In his work as a bike patrol officer, Amos had seen guys change their lives because of the influence of the church.

Many of the inner city youths need things the church can provide - love, acceptance, purpose, discipline, structure - but in many cases it's not happening, he said.

Norfolk has well over 300 churches and only 45 police cars, Amos said.

It's a resource we've seen that we need to tap into, he said.

The problem, he said, is that the churches are aging, have leadership changes, financial woes, are affected by changing demographics and have a perception of fear.

Amos grew up in Kempsville, and he and his family attend First Church of the Nazarene in Virginia Beach. That's the recipe, and because of those things, churches are circling their wagons in the community without affecting the community, he said.

PACE SAFE steps in and says, we'll make it safe for you, said Amos. We'll provide a safe environment; equipment such as stages, chairs and access to sound systems; and advice, hooking churches up with agencies and charities so they can serve the community.

Amos began work as the SAFE coordinator April 1996. He was the first person to take the position full time. It had been tried as an additional duty before, but people burned out quickly, he said.

Amos, who lives with his wife, Anne Mare, and their three children in North Camellia Acres, is able to focus on assisting the churches and other houses of worship. He attends community prayer meetings with pastors from white, black and even Filipino churches. He helps them organize outdoor revivals or block parties or community food distribution.

The Rev. Fred Braswell, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, said Amos is a resource to ministers, not just to churches. When Braswell was diagnosed with cancer, Amos called him at home, dropped by and even visited him in the hospital.

``Amos,'' he said, ``is one of the best young men I have met in my life. He has integrity and enthusiasm. He's excited about reducing crime in the city of Norfolk,'' said Braswell. ``And he's just available, period. That's what I like about him.''

For his efforts apprehending the drug dealer, even when his own life was in danger, Amos has been awarded the Norfolk Police Department's second highest honor, the Medal of Valor. He and other award-winning Norfolk police officers will be honored in a ceremony in Norfolk in January.

While the shooting incident resulted in a public recognition of Amos' courage and commitment as a police officer, it began a change within him.

``My shooting broke my heart for the city and these communities. Because of what happened that day last January, a 19-year-old kid that tried to kill me is now dead.''

When he returned to work and realized he needed to do more, he took the position of SAFE coordinator.

``Had that drug dealer been out on a street where revival was going on and experienced it himself, there's a good chance that he'd be alive today,'' said Amos. At least that's my hope.

``It's been my hope and my prayer that the work PACE SAFE is doing will save a family the loss of their son or daughter because of a violent act and save the wife of a police officer from the nightmare my wife had to go through.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Amos is coordinator for the first precinct in the city's SAFE

program, geared to developing PACE partnerships with the community

of faith.

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