November's
The Carolina Scoop/Fatz Cafe Police
Officer of the Month
SGT.
JOHNNY CAUDLE
"Big
Show" always willing to make a
difference
Sgt. Johnny Caudle
jots down notes while on patrol.
Story,
timeline and photos by Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON
-- When Lincolnton Police Sgt.
Johnny Caudle was in the third grade at
Oaklwan School in Lincolnton, he knew
that he wanted to be a police officer.
In fact,
he was so sure about what he wanted to be
when he grew up, he went so far as to put
it in writing.
"We
wrote in a little book about what we
wanted to be," said Caudle. "I
wrote I wanted to be a fireman and a
police officer."
It
wasn't until Caudle was at Lincolnton
High School that he achieved the dream of
being a fireman. Caudle volunteered at
North 321 Fire Department for a couple of
years.
It
wouldn't be until after a stint in the
Army with his best friend, Larry Davis of
Lincolnton, that he would turn his
attention to police work.
Caudle
smiles when he remembers the days after
high school and the decision he made to
join the Army with his best friend.
"I
spent a couple of years doing odd jobs
before joining the military," said
Caudle.
While
serving his country in the armed forces,
Caudle was a tank operator and achieved
the rank of Sergeant after discharge from
the military in 1989.
Then it
was back to the odd jobs until he decided
to take Basic Law Enforcement Training
(BLET).
"I
took a notion to take the course and did
so in 1990 at Gaston College," said
Caudle.
Sgt. Johnny
Caudle completes paperwork while Captain
Cindy Monday watches.
After
completing BLET, Caudle went to work for
the Gastonia Police Department.
It would
be three years before Caudle returned to
his native Lincoln County.
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ON
THE ROAD....
with
Sgt. Johnny Caudle
Sgt. Caudle talks to
a Lincolnton resident on the
telephone.
Here
are some of the calls Sgt. Caudle
answered with The Carolina Scoop:
1:16pm
--Johnny answered a call with
Lt. Randy Willis regarding a
disturbane between subjects in
the parking lot of the law
offices of Pendleton, Pendleton
and Deaton.
1:41pm
-- Sgt. Caudle investigates a
property damage accident at the
intersection of Drum and Cedar
Streets. He takes the driver's
information and plans on
completing a wreck report before
the end of his shift.
2:32pm
-- Johnny receives a call of
a walk-in at the police
department in reference to an
incident at the Raceway on East
Main Street. After he talks to
the woman making the report,
Johnny determines it to be a
misunderstanding between the
woman and the business.
2:55pm
-- While catching up on
paperwork at the police
department, Johnny gets a call on
the acident at Dixon and Cedar
Streets. Before issuing his
report, Johnny said there needs
to be further investigation.
4:55pm
-- Johnny runs a tag on a Ford
F-150 pickup near Generals
Boulevard and East Main Street
and discovers everything is OK
with vehicle.
5:08pm
-- Johnny gets a call on the
radio of two intoxicated drivers
getting ready to leave The
Lincoln House restaurant on
Center Drive in separate
vehicles. Caudle runs the tag
numbers as part of an
investigation yet the drivers
don't leave.
8:41pm
-- While performing community
policing duties, Johnny receives
word of a hold-up alarm at
Aaron's Rentals in the Lincoln
Plaza Shopping Center. Upon
arrival, Caudle learns the alarm
is false.
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"I felt like I wanted
to come home to work in Lincolnton,"
said Caudle. "I wanted to work for
the people of Lincolnton."
A 1983
graduate of Lincolnton High School,
Caudle's training officer was an old high
school classmate: Lt. Kent Lukach.
"He
was one year ahead of me in school,"
said Caudle. "I knew who he was but
I didn't know him at the time."
Soon
after joining the department under
then-chief Terry Burgin, something
changed in Caudle. He went from being
fairly soft-spoken to more outspoken.
Caudle
credits Lukach for helping him get over
his shyness.
"Kent
taught me how to communicate with
people," said Caudle. "Today,
it doesn't bother me to talk."
Caudle
said that's part of the secret to police
work: knowing how to be a good listener.
"Many
people want someone to listen to them and
to hear their side of the story,"
said Caudle. "My motivation is
knowing that in some way, I've helped
people."
One
particular person he helped Thanksgiving
Day earned Caudle the monthly Fatz
Cafe/The Carolina Scoop's Lincolnton
Police Officer of the Month Award.
Caudle
was nominated for the award by several
police department colleagues including
Sgt. Willie Vaughn and Sgt. Spencer
Summers.
According
to Summers, police received a call about
a person hanging around the Dollar
General on Center Drive.
Upon
arriving at the scene, officers
discovered the man had no place to go.
And
while a woman had brought the man a plate
of food, Caudle realized he needed
something more.
"Johnny
talked to the man for a few minutes and
said he'd be right back," said
Summers.
With Lincolnton
Police Chief Dean Abernathy looking on,
Sgt. Johnny Caudle was presented with the
Fatz Cafe/The Carolina Scoop Lincolnton
Police Officer of the Month award.
Caudle
left and took part of his Christmas bonus
to get the man a motel room for the
night.
Caudle
said he's got a soft spot for veterans.
Besides
himself, his dad, David and brothers Dan
and David all served in the military. His
dad saw action in World War II; his
brothers saw action in Vietnam.
"I
couldn't see taking this man to jail on a
public assist," said Caudle.
"He sat here on Center Drive for
most of the day."
An act
of compassion may not be what many people
expect from the man nicknamed by his
colleagues as "Big Show."
Caudle
credits detective Dennis Harris for
giving him the name.
"For
a long time, I didn't know why they named
me Big Show," said Caudle, adding he
didn't understand until he watched
wrestling one day.
And the
thoughts on his namesake?
"I
thought to myself 'geez, he's big,'"
said Caudle. "I guess now I
know."
The most
important attribute to have in law
enforcement, according to Caudle, is a
good sense of humor.
Also,
being personable helps as well.
"If
you don't have a good sense of humor,
you'll go plum crazy in this
business," said Caudle. "It's
all in how you talk to people, how you
relate to people."
Lt.
Kenny Shrum said Caudle worked under him
as a sergeant for a while.
"He's
a good officer, very knowledgable,"
said Shrum. "It's good to have guys
like 'Big Show' around."
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