Badge To Battleship – Former PO & CO Ofc. McGrew’s Path To Purpose⚓

In this powerful episode of Diary of an L.E.O., host Sterling D. Brown—a former police officer and now a correctional officer—sits down with former officer Rayshaun McGrew, whose journey takes him from the streets of Chicago to the Crime Suppression Team of the Daytona Beach Police Department, and now to serving his country in the United States Navy.

Officer McGrew’s story is one of discipline, faith, and growth—earning a Valor Award for saving a man’s life, giving back through the Adopt-A-Cop program, and redefining what it means to serve with purpose. From college basketball to crime scenes, from community engagement to crisis response, McGrew shares how family, humility, and service continue to guide his mission.

🎙️ “You can be taught how to shoot a gun or write a report—but you can’t be taught courage.”
💪 This episode is a reminder that true service begins when you put others before yourself.

 #DiaryOfAnLEO #FirstResponder #LEOLife

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Transcript

Introduction to Officer Rayshon McGrew

Sterling 0:16

Welcome back to another episode of Diary of an LEO, the podcast that gives you real, unfiltered look into the lives of those who wear the badge. Today we have a special guest, Rashawn McGrew, a former police officer with the crime suppression team at Daytona Beach Police Department, who has since transitioned into the United States Navy. Ray Sean's story is one of dedication, community engagement, and personal growth. From growing up on the South Side of Chicago to playing Division I basketball at Stony Brook University, and later finding his passion for law enforcement, his journey is anything but ordinary. He's been on the front lines, received the Valor Award for Saving a Man's Life, and was deeply involved in the community programs like Adopt the Cop. Today, we'll dive into his experiences, the lessons he's learned, and his perspective on what it truly means to serve. Whether you're in law enforcement, considering the career, or just curious about the realities of the job, this episode's for you. Good morning, Officer McGrew. Good morning, brother. How you doing this morning? All right, man. It's a pleasure to have you on Diary of LEO. And um we have history. So I think I think that's a good place to start. So what what year we're definitely what year did we meet?

Rayshon McGrew 1:33

So we met in 2021.

Sterling 1:36

Wow.

Rayshon McGrew 1:38

2021, yes. Right? Right. We're in 25 now. We're in 25.

Sterling 1:44

And uh, I mean, from the very first day, and we we met we met in Lancaster County prison. Um, I was already uh an officer there, and you came in, your stature and and your standard, the way you how tall are you? I gotta throw that out there. How tall are you? Because I mean I literally had to look at the ceiling.

Rayshon McGrew 2:05

I'm six foot, I'm six foot six.

Sterling 2:07

So I mean, yeah. So it that's I gotta give our audience this the understanding to see that visualize. I literally had to look up at you because I'm only five foot nine, and I'm like, oh my God. But again, your your respect and your demeanor, I knew you were special from the first day I met you. And you know, and and and here it is, you know, and I I developed a friendship with you, and um I hope it lasts for many, many years to come, man. So let's jump into it. What what was your what was your reason for coming to Lancaster County Prison? Let's start there.

Rayshon McGrew 2:45

So initially, after playing basketball, doing my college thing, um, I moved from Chicago because it was just a bunch of negativity around me. So I moved to Florida with my college sweetheart, who's now my wife. We moved to Florida, um, started doing that's when I initially first became a police officer in 2019. Okay. And then 2020 COVID hit with with Department of the United States. Yeah, Daytona. That was with Daytona Beach, yes.

Sterling 3:12

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 3:13

So I started with Daytona Beach in 2019. Okay. Uh 2020 COVID hit. Um, obviously, I'm not from Florida. She's not from Florida. So it got it kind of getting tight with everything closing down. I'm working a lot because first responders, you got you kind of got to be there.

Sterling 3:28

Right.

Rayshon McGrew 3:28

Um, and we had a we had a newborn baby, which is which was my son Kobe. Congratulations. So fast forward to that. Right. Thank you. She she got family in Pennsylvania. So we moved to Pennsylvania to be closer with family to kind of help with child care and things of that nature. So when I moved there, um I did a thing called a lateral transfer, which was from one police department to another state. So I applied for like uh York police department and I think it was either Wrightsville or some other department in that area. It was a long it was a long process. So in the meantime, while waiting for that, I applied for um Lancaster County Prison, which I got a quick response, I got a fast start date. And that's what brought me there, and I started there. That's when I kind of met you and um other great officers who kind of showed me the ropes on how things go there and gave me the valuable time that I did have while working there.

Sterling 4:24

I just memorized the three C's. You know what the three C's are? Ever heard of that? Cops corrections. Being that this is the realm that we we understand, it it it it goes around in a circle. Was there a different

Transitioning from Police to Corrections

Sterling 4:42

did you have to transition hard to going corrections? Because now you weren't that one who were taking these individuals to the jail. You were actually in the jail watching your brothers and sisters bring them to the jail. Was that a hard transition? Was it a tra hard transition being in in that environment with so many individuals, like criminally charged?

Rayshon McGrew 5:06

Um, honestly, it was an easier transition. And I say that because bringing them in is one thing you got to see, or you got to go there and get them out of whatever situation they were in or prevent them from doing the situation they were gonna do. Right. So you're not catching them on the criminal side, you're catching them while they're inside. Right. And everybody was in that for different reasons. Um, some was more severe than others, obviously. But you get the, you get the being a cop, only thing you you can only thing you know about this person is what you actually experiencing them do or what's reported that they did. So you only know the negativity that they did. So you're taking them and dropping them off, kind of. Um while being inside the inside the prison with them, you kind of develop more um personal relationships with them, or you get to talk to them, you get to know what they did, why they did it, or whatever the case may be. So you kind of you kind of get to know them more as a person than just like a criminal or a bad guy or whatever the um society wanna view them as. So it was it was a lot, it was a lot easier of a transition for me because like like I say, I'm big in community police when I was a cop. I'm big in like getting to know my community. Okay. So when I came inside the prison, I don't want to just chill you off what you were arrested for. I want to know you as the person, as the male, as a female, or whatever the case. I want to get to know you as a person and then kind of pick your brain on like what led you to that decision. Because some people, it's some people young, they hang around the wrong crowd, they make the wrong decisions, they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. And then some people do things just because like they did it, didn't think they were gonna get caught, and now they gotta face the punishment that that comes with it. So it was kind of interesting to kind of sit and learn from that side of the perspective and get to talk to these people and um like learn from them too. Because like after I left Lancaster, I went back to Daytona for law enforcement. Okay. And some of the some of the stuff I learned from them, I tried, I expressed that to kids in the community when I went to schools and talked to kids or when I was in the neighborhoods talking to kids who's in low-income areas. Exactly, exactly. Uh-huh. Exactly. So I not not to not to gain off their their traumas. It wasn't a game, but it was kind of to get other kids and people in their situation uh um like a a view of like how fast things can change in your life and try to help prevent them from getting in situations like that. So I learned from a lot of people while working in that prison, from COs to inmates. That you know, and I carry it with me to this day.

Sterling 7:47

To hear you say that that makes it makes sense, but it I'm gonna be honest with you, it's a surprising take because out of the officers that I've interviewed corrections and policing, um they see it a starch difference. Um, in in the sense that a lot of them don't want to get to know them. A lot of them hold this uh hostility like you know, you you you you're in here, you had to have done something, but also it's like, okay, well, you stay over there, I'm gonna stay over here. And what you just you know, what you just spoke about was okay, I want to understand. And and I want not just to learn from it, but maybe I can apply it to help someone so they don't have to go through it. And that that's phenomenal. That is phenomenal. And I think that is what I think of correctional officers at gate as gatekeepers. And I and I and I don't know if you remember a little bit of my story, but um, there was a time I was I was young, dumb, and I made mistakes. Yeah and I and I it caught up with it. Yep, and and and I told you, but it was it was the words of an officer who made me feel like I could be better. And I think that's what you're that's what you're doing right now. That's what that's that's that understanding that you got that you can take this experience and say, you know what, I understand I already took an oath, but still you're saying I can still learn something from this. And and that to me is phenomenal. And that's I think that's what we put here to do. What was the reason why you left, if you don't mind talking about it?

Rayshon McGrew 9:36

Okay, so uh I've never I never knew anything about like Lancaster, like Pennsylvania, anything. The only thing I know about Pennsylvania was like Pittsburgh, because my my dad's a big Pittsburgh Stillers fan, okay, which transitioned to me being a Pittsburgh Stiller fan. Okay. So I can't I came there strictly at as a sacrifice for my wife because she needed help with the kids. And I'm like, I love your family, your family love me. You want to go here so you can just have help with the kids and so things get I'm like, you want to do it? Let's do it. I can I can pick up my job wherever I go. So that's why I came there.

Sterling 10:09

That's what's up.

Rayshon McGrew 10:10

Um husband to the fullest. I left exactly. I left Daytona at a point where I was I was already in love with the job. Like I was already there two years, two complete years. You said you were you're in the crime suppression unit. So I I was already in love with the job. So I left the job that I love for the person that I love because I knew before I even before I even became a cop.

Sterling 10:31

I left the job that I love for the person I love.

Rayshon McGrew 10:35

Wow. I told her, I said, you, I said you come first. I'm like, you was here with me before I got anything. Like, you come first. So whatever we got to do to make sure you're you at peace, your sanity is good, that's gonna be my main priority. I'm like, my job come second. So although I fell in love with my job, I seen that me being at work a lot, paying the bills and things like that, I wasn't home to help her during the time where everything was shut down. So it was just like she's she's isolated from the world and me because I'm at work.

Sterling 11:06

Now this is in now, this is when you're at Lancashire County.

Rayshon McGrew 11:09

No, this is when I was in the police before I came here. Okay, okay. So that's when she that's when she made the decision on hey, I want to be closer to family so I can have some help. I immediately I said, no problem. I said, give me a time when you want to go. We had pay some movers to pack up the house. And uh at that point, I let my supervisors know and I start letting them know the transition that I'm planning on leaving. And that's when it started.

Sterling 11:31

Now, did you know that you were gonna go go back with that? You were gonna leave the prison? Or was it like, okay, look, I'm down here and I'm gonna get a I'm gonna get a policing job in Pennsylvania sooner or later. Or what was that like? Did you have any optics to saying like um I'm eventually gonna leave the prison and we're gonna leave back out of state? How'd that work out?

Rayshon McGrew 11:54

I knew I was gonna leave the prison, but I didn't know I was leaving to go back to Florida. So like I like I like I stated earlier, I was at the prison waiting for um response back from different yeah, from different law enforcement agencies. Because I like like I said, I fell in love with law enforcement. So I'm like, I can bring what I did there and try to bring it here and try to find like my niche. Right.

Sterling 12:18

Let's talk about let's talk about that for a minute. So you apply for a lateral transfer. I understand that concept, but just for our viewers and our listeners, I mean, that a lateral transfer basically means that, like you said before, you're bringing your credentials from one department of state and you're applying it to another, but there may be some credit, so to speak, that you may have to brush up on like ordinances, laws, because some states are different and they they their laws may vary, but it's still governed by the United States Constitution. How was that how was that um process? Because you stated earlier that it was long. Like what what was it? Were you were you not getting any feedback or what was the holdup? What do you think the holdup was?

Rayshon McGrew 13:10

So to to their to their um for them, I do respect them for they always responded back when I reached out to them. So I give them the utmost respect for that. They wasn't like leaving me in the dark or anything like that.

Sterling 13:22

Okay, okay.

Rayshon McGrew 13:23

Um, but they they had to check all my credentials, like make sure everything checked out. They had to make sure my years was my actual years. Um, they had to check on all my like in photo, we got like the FDLE, like the federal department of law enforcement and stuff. They had to check all of that and make sure I had all my certifications. They had to do poor like IA investigations, make sure I never had any IA investigations on baggage. So they had to do a whole deep background investigation while still processing people who was applying for jobs for the case. Time-wise.

Sterling 13:55

So long, how long did that take?

Rayshon McGrew 13:57

Exactly.

Sterling 13:57

How how long did that make? How long did that take? I'm sorry. Time-wise.

Rayshon McGrew 14:00

So it took me, I was at Lancaster for six months, six, seven months. And I started my process a month before I even moved to Pennsylvania. So it was about like an eight-month process. Eight-month process. But in the meantime, they was giving me like, hey, go schedule this um psychic psychological exam, go schedule this physical, go do this drug test. So I was doing things in the process, but it was still like a long process, which I I expected it to be. Okay.

Sterling 14:29

But um And I wanted you to expound on that because again, like um when I when I thought about the the development of this podcast, is definitely for younger officers, officers who are pursuing or in uh in their younger years of law enforcement, but just for the citizen who may one day aspire to be an officer, and understanding it's a whole lot of what we call red tape, that even if you're an officer, it's just not a guarantee, oh I'm I'm I'm I'm in. You know, and I think a a lot of policing today, um of course, this generation, we can go on for hours to say, like, this generation is just

Growing Up on Chicago's South Side

Sterling 15:13

they don't want to work, do this, but it's just it just doesn't happen like that. You know, a lot of a lot of a lot of uh I when I when I was going through like I'll give you an example. Um I was a lot older than a lot of the cadets. But in the process, same thing, getting vetted, you know, I would see okay, well, this person had this, but not necessarily that this officer had 10 years on the force that he got this job with this new department. And I'm looking like, wow. You know, you would think, okay, well, this officer had all these acclimates and he tr he's wanting to transfer, but you got to get vetted like everyone else. And it's a process. You know, and I think a lot of um people who are trying to go in law enforcement, they give up. You know, they give up too quick, and you don't understand that it's that's just one department. And you said earlier that you went through multiple departments. So, you know, something like I don't know if your mom ever said don't put all your eggs in one basket. You know, so you knew from the rip, like, look, I'm gonna put my application over here, I'm gonna put it over here, and I'm gonna see what comes back. I'm gonna see what comes back. That's solid. That's solid.

Rayshon McGrew 16:22

Yeah, so yeah, that was that was that was I and I learned that from my supervisor before I left there. Like, make sure you put it in for more than one because one might not be hiring, or they might already have people in the process they waited to take in, and you don't want to waste all that time searching that job from them.

Sterling 16:38

How was your department? Um how did they feel? Did they did they give you an open door to come back? I mean, evidently they did, but was it was it like was it emotional when you was leaving? How was that?

Rayshon McGrew 16:54

So, like I said, I had a great relationship with my chiefs. Um, my chiefs, my deputy chiefs, my training command. Like I was a unique case, honestly, because um I was like, obviously, like you say, I'm I'm six foot six, I'm hard to miss, right? And then like my person, my personality, my personality that comes with the job, it stands out because I'm getting, like I said, I get letters from from um civilians from neighborhoods directly to my chief. Like, oh, he um he was in my neighborhood, he did this call and he was just so professional, he was respectful, yes, sir, no, ma'am. Um, I got a letter from a guy that I arrested. Like I arrested a guy for a DUI. Get out of here. Are you serious? I I I would I would email you the letter. So if you if you want to broke this, I got a I arrested a guy for a DUI. Okay. He got out of jail. He called my chief and he told my chief, he's like, man, Officer McGrew, he arrested me for um driving under the influence. He like, but I cannot tell you how respectful and how articulate he was with explaining to me what I did wrong, how why I did it wrong. He like, that's the most professional I have, I most professionalism I have I have ever dealt with with an officer. And he like, I just want to let you know you got an exceptional officer on your hands. Like, I got stuff like that because I'm not a I'm I'm not a I'm not an a-ho. Like, right, I'm gonna explain to you what you did wrong, why you did it wrong, and like and try to help you from letting that happen again, right? So Was there everything?

Sterling 18:29

Go ahead, go ahead. I'm sorry, go ahead. Finish.

Rayshon McGrew 18:31

No, no, I was gonna say that stood, that's that um that stood out to them. So they noticed they they noticed me really well.

Sterling 18:36

Was there ever a time was there opposite that you you felt as though you didn't do enough? That you just felt like this one slipped through the cracks or you had a you had an individual, individual that you just kept running into and and you saw the charges escalating like yo, and you just kept you just kept scratching your head. Was there ever a time like that?

Rayshon McGrew 18:57

Yeah, so um I'm not gonna say the individual name, but I had two in two individuals, husband and wife, went to them so many times for the same thing so many times. And every time I went, it got it was worse and worse, right? Um and at least in Florida, I should say. I don't know about other places, but in Florida, depending on how good you write your report, the judges start, they start to remember your name because your report is done so thoroughly that they like, oh, I I know he's done a good report. So I knew I knew some judges. I had some I had judges that I can kind of reach out to and like, hey, so with these these individuals, I'm like, this person keep getting he keep getting out and he keep going right back to the same same address. She's not following a restraining order, no things like that. I'm like, but if you notice through um the patterns on my report, it's is getting more violent and violent and violent. Which I'm like, it can lead to something more severe at a point. Um so I asked I asked the judge, I'm like, I'm like, what can I do about this? And he gave me a um a really good trick. It wasn't a trick, but it was like it was uh um a statute that I didn't know about. Right. Okay, like so we he's like, so when when the same officer arrests somebody multiple times for the same thing in the same category, you can file for this. There was a in Florida, it was like a um another habitual thing, which would guarantee them a little bit more time in there or counseling before they can be released. Okay, okay. So I I applied I applied that to my next arrest for him, which it kept him not he was incarcerated, but he wasn't incarcerated. He had to do like um anger management.

Sterling 20:40

He was mandated to to complete these courses, you know, exactly, but it also heightens it it heightens the penalty if he negates again and exactly it's wow that that's just smart. That's just that's what you call smart policing. I mean and I and I hope, I hope, man, man, I hope there are listeners out there are picking up what you're putting down, man, because you are you are putting it down. You smart policing, report writing, and you know, and we know about that report writing. I mean, I'm gonna speak from myself, bro. I got into policing and it was a whole I I thought I couldn't write. I had to learn how to write all over again because the level, the level of writing. I remember you sent me that five. Remember, you sent me that zip drive? And I'm like, I'm reading your reports. I'm like, oh my god. I'm like, this is this is for real. I'm like, it wasn't just like a couple sentences here because it's, you know, for time's sake, it's just a hug the flip side of when you're going to court. And that's what it is. That's what it's about. It's about defending why you did what you did when you had to do what you had to do. And you're right, judges remember you. Um so With that being said, let's let's jump in to the south side of Chicago. You know what I mean? So let's let's let's let's go, man. So what

First Life-Changing Police Experience

Sterling 22:12

was it like? You had two brothers, two sisters, and before you went to Stony Brook University, what was it like growing up in the south side of Chicago, bro?

Rayshon McGrew 22:27

All right, so for me, um it was tough, but it was also not as tough for me as it was probably for others, right? So um all my life I grew up playing sports, things like that. But um just being in the city like that, it comes with um violence, obviously, and it comes with like bullying and things in that nature. So me growing up, I got into countless fights, just just minding my business, countless fights. It comes with territories. Um I was 12 years old, I got into a fight with three Latin kings. Like I was leaving basketball practice, right? Dribbling my ball, minding my business. Minding your own business. And just because I'm a black kid walking, walking from school, three Hispanic males screaming at me, like, hey, are you are you GD? Which is GD is like a gang, a big, a big no, big known gang. Right. I'm like, nah, man, wrong guy, man, walking. But I'm at at 12, 13, I'm probably like 6'2. Yeah, you're 6'2.

Sterling 23:32

So again, like they see you, it's like, okay.

Rayshon McGrew 23:36

I look like a grown man probably to them. Uh-huh. So I'm walking or whatever. Long story short, that led to the me getting stabbed in my back once and cut on, cut on my thumb until I was able to like run and get home. But like growing up like that, it was kind of like it made you super hyper-vigilant. Like everywhere I went, from even in Chicago to Florida to even now, like, I don't like people behind me. I don't like I don't like I don't like sitting to my back to certain things. Like, it's just it just made me like I don't like people behind me because I don't know what people's attention is or what they're capable of. So I like I like having my back to a wall. Um, that's what that is installed in me. But it also gave me toughness. Right. So I'm forever grateful for that.

Sterling 24:20

I got I gotta ask this question. And you know, I was thinking about it before we started the interview. So I'm going, I'm gonna throw it out there. Growing up while black. Growing up while black in the hood. And what you just explained was the reality of so many of us who are minding our own business that we are exposed to the violence. We're exposed to such a trauma. And technically, and I remember this when I was growing up. There was a study done by one of these major universities and it says that people who grow up in or around violence and like in the the late early 90s, late 90s, going to 2000s, they could have PTSD. I'm like, we've been through that. You know, yeah, yeah, like I I'm just saying, I'm not I don't want people sitting bes behind me. I I I'm I'm always cutting my eye, looking out the corners of my eyes. And that's just because I had to grow up in this environment that was very unstable, was volatile, that it could explode in any given time. Do you think that that was one of the the trumps that got you into policing? I know you shared in in regards to the department picking you. And I say that because do you think if your counterpart was beside you and he had not been exposed to violence versus you, they would have picked him over you? This is a hypothetical question. I just want to hear where you want to go with it.

Rayshon McGrew 26:17

So for the first part, yes, that was one of the main reasons why I did join. Because I didn't see I didn't see police unless it was something bad. Like I never had police coming to check on me. Wow. Well, not me per se, but like I didn't see police coming to my neighborhood, right? Um, shoot basketballs with us. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, like ask us how our day is going. So I've never seen that. Um, and then for this the second part of that question was I think so. Like, I think I think that was one of the reasons probably why I got selected, honestly, is because they they they do the same thing when you interview for your job. Like you gotta you got a board with the command staff and they ask like about your background, things in that nature. They've probably seen that I had a a tough background. And they I told them the same thing from day one. I'm like, I grew up where I've never seen cops. I'm like, I want to break that chain. Like, I'll not break the chain myself, but like I want to be a reason on why eventually that chain gets broke. Eventually, when I before I was an FTO, right, right, yeah, I I wanted to like teach other other new officers, like, hey man, like just go. We have downtime. Don't get me wrong. You're not running from call to call every second for the 12 hours. I'm like, well, you got downtime. You see kids throwing the football, like, get out and talk to them. How you how was the day in school? How your family? They need anything? Like, because sometimes them kids might tell you, like, hey man, yeah, my mom's my mom's getting beat by my like, and if you never they never seen you, they probably would have never, you probably would have never known that. So like just talking to them. You know, they they probably scared of you because honestly, man, a lot of kids I talk to, like high schoolers, they be like, I was told not to talk to y'all. I was told police, police do this, I was told police do that, because they see stuff on social media. Only thing they see is the negativity. They see the uh a cop shooting or they see anything. That's all they know from law enforcement is what they see on Instagram and TikTok and all this stuff. So your interaction can break that chain on what they think law enforcement is. And I was really big on like big on that. And I wanted to pass that knowledge down to other officers who was new and didn't have no experience. Like, hey, show them, show them different. You know, we all human, we're gonna make mistakes. Some people good, some people not, some people make mistakes. But I'm like, show them that it's more than just negativity when it's negativity attached to being a cop, like it's so much beauty to it. I'm like, make sure you are a cop who does that.

Sterling 28:44

And and again, like just to reiterate that is that something I I say so many times over. And it's publicly known is that you know, we we see the officers at that less than one percent. And I say officers, I mean in totality. So it's not just policing, it's corrections. We see those officers uh who have sworn an oath and media portrays them as the the the 99.9 percent. That's not true. The 99.9% the 99.9% you never see them. They're they're the ones who are doing what you're doing. They're the ones who are going to their kids' games, they're the ones who are getting out of the cars, they're the ones who are holding this trauma of saying, like, you know what, uh um my buddy just died, but I can't tell nobody because you know they're happy right now. Well, I just saw this I just saw this tra traumatic scene and you know, I gotta go home in in in an hour and I gotta go to a game. You know, and and that's that 99.9%. So what was your time in Stony Brook University? How did that uh change or affect your I know you said you went in there on a scholarship, but again, you you I mean like clearly you know, you that's your A game with the beat, the the basketball is just one side, a fraction of who you are, um, just by talking to you now. But did that have any did that continue to change your output on life and and in and being an officer?

Rayshon McGrew 30:30

That actually going to Stony Brook was the separator in my life. Wow. So, like I say, growing up in the south side of Chicago, I didn't interact with other races because everywhere I went, it was only African Americans, it was only black people. Okay. Only time I seen like white people, Spanish people, things like that was when I went downtown Chicago to like go buy clothes or go play basketball or so. That's the only time I ever interacted with other races. So and a lot of people are like that. They they trapped in a small little city. Like some people, I know people who never left the city of Chicago, right? So when I went to Stony Brook, I went to a school full of all different Asians, whites, blacks, whatever, whatever race you could think of. It was a so a diverse university, people from all different walks of life, right? And it opened up a side of me, I'm like, wow, that's a whole nother world that I was never exposed to. I met some of my closest friends. I've been to these guys when I met people who are millionaires and things like that, who like show me like it's so much more to life that that I was missing. So that that that kind of helped me. That I honestly I'll say me choosing Stony Brook University as my school, because I was gonna go to HBCU initially.

Sterling 32:00

But for Stoney Brooklyn, our listeners, what is an HBCU?

Rayshon McGrew 32:05

It's a historically black university. Okay, like it's it's a university strictly for like blacks, African Americans. But most sometimes other races go to those schools,

Crime Suppression Team Operations

Rayshon McGrew 32:14

but it's 80 per 90% of it is is black. Okay. And I was gonna I was gonna go there because I felt more comfortable around my like black people, like my own people.

Sterling 32:23

Right.

Rayshon McGrew 32:24

But me choosing Stony Brook, I think it saved my life because it helped me want to leave Chicago. Like when I went back to Chicago after Stony Brook, I'm done. I was like, I'm gonna go. I was like, yeah, I was I was like, I don't belong here. I told my I told my dad, I'm like, I don't belong here, Dad. I'm like, I do not belong. He's like, what do you mean? I'm like, I don't feel comfortable here, like I just don't want to, I don't want to live here. And he's like, whatever you want to do, I'm gonna support you 100%. And I told my girlfriend at time, I'm like, I'm like, let's go to Florida. We went to Florida, we stayed with her parents for a little bit until we got on our feet, and then the rest is history from there.

Sterling 33:00

Now you you mentioned you received uh an award for valor for saving a man's life. Talk about that for a little bit. What was that like? What was the anticity? What was the call like? Break it down.

Rayshon McGrew 33:18

So I'm leaving a um traffic stop. I'm actually I'm in the middle of a traffic stop, just a basic traffic stop. It wasn't nothing major. Um it was an educ actually it was an educational traffic stop, just let them know like, hey, that's a that's that's the way you stop to that stop sign, it's called a rolling stop. Like it's you technically can get the ticket for it, blah, blah, blah. And I hear over the radio, I wear an earpiece, so people I'm dealing with don't hear what's going on, what I got going on. Okay. So I hear over the radio. I'm like, um, the dispatcher says we have a suicidal subject who's hanging from a bridge currently. I immediately gave the person back their license restoration. I said, hey, so I don't have these lights. I cleared myself from that traffic stop. I immediately keyed up, like, Central, can you send me to that? Send me to it. I went cold to it. When I got there, uh one of my like zone buddies, he's already there. Okay. So he's already there trying to trying to reach. Like the guy's legit hanging from the bottom of the bridge. Like, but his his buddy is holding him by the shirt. And then my my zone partner, he's grabbing it. He got the guy by the arm and he's just dangling. So we get, I get over there. I'm I'm big too, so I'm big and strong. So I grab him by like his waistband, like his pants, his belt area, and we just start pulling him up. And he the guy screaming, like, just let me see. I can literally see that, bro.

Sterling 34:33

I can like for your buddy and me, we're like, we're just probably just getting getting his arm. You're reaching over, you're grabbing him by his whole waist, bro. I can see that right now. You're just come on, let's go. Go ahead, bro.

Rayshon McGrew 34:48

Yeah, so I'm like, I'm like, he like, he's just like dangling, like they he's not holding on to anything. So um, I'm he like just let me go. Like, I don't want to be here no more. I'm I'm ready to end it. So we um eventually we finally pull him over or whatever. Um, we talking to him because we we all had to get certified on like um suicide prevention and advocate and get a little proper paperwork and stuff. Okay. So we talk about like getting a getting a story on why why you're doing what you're doing. Right. He's like, he's lost his job, his his girl left him, he's homeless now. I'm like, man, we got resources for that. Like we can give you the resources you need to get back on your feet. Um, but in Florida, it's a thing called a um a baker act, which when people is committing suicide or feeling like hurting themselves, anything like that, you have to baker act them, which you send them to medical and they have to do a uh 72-hour process before they can even think about getting released. So we baker act them, and then once he was baked, once he was released from um being baker acted, um, we helped him get into a shelter. And and with the shelter that he was in, they give you a little shuttle to get back and forth from like um day jobs. So he was doing day jobs trying to get back on the seal. I'm like, man, I'm like, things like things like this is like it's gonna get you back right. Like it's no need to you know go jump off a bridge that's gonna automatically kill you. Like it's it's nothing underneath you but a dock. And um right. I that that call it it bothered me a little bit because I'm like, man, so many other people who go through stuff like this that don't even know that they they got help out here or people who's willing to help them. And they just think it's easier to just end it. Well, I'm like, I hope this guy's doing well now, but he was ready to end his life and he didn't even know like he could have made one phone call or one officer would have got out and stop to him, stopped and talked to him and like, hey, how your day going? They could have found that out and he would have never been in that situation. So can we can we save them all? No, no, but take the time to just you know try. Right.

Sterling 36:54

It's our job. You know, I and I and I I hear you, and um one thing that I studied was that the the issue is it's not gonna last forever. And a lot of times individuals like that they get stuck in the moment. And like you said, you you talking to him, giving him that forward thinking, like, look, we have resources here and those resources are gonna help you right now and uh aid you in getting more help. A lot a lot a lot of officers and people don't don't realize the the impact that you guys uh make every single day, the sacrifice that you make, and you said it still bothers you today. You know, it's something you should think about. And you I'm probably so you'll never forget it. I I know it. I know you know it's just gonna be one of those things that you're never gonna forget. Just like you don't you don't forget, you know, like the DUI gentlemen who who who called in, those things that you take with you, but I I think that's you're you're amplifying the the very fabric and the reason why you signed up. You know, what was it what was your first call like? What was that call that you realized that you know this is for me?

Rayshon McGrew 38:14

Uh it's crazy. So this is on YouTube also if anybody wants to go. Are you serious?

Sterling 38:18

So send it to me.

Rayshon McGrew 38:20

Send it to me. Yeah, most definitely. My first, I was an FTO. Um and uh and uh uh it's a it's a cop, Dominic Best. He was like the rock star of this department, right? Dominic Best B-E-S T.

Sterling 38:35

All right, okay.

Rayshon McGrew 38:36

Yeah.

Sterling 38:37

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 38:38

And um we responded to an assistance with a smaller agency who was next, like next door to us. They asked for assistance with a hostage situation.

Sterling 38:46

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 38:47

Um, so he go, he goes there. I'm on the complete opposite side of town. Um so now we the dispatchers say uh they update us with like the person's got a gun and he's shooting at the officers.

Adopt-A-Cop and Community Engagement

Rayshon McGrew 38:58

So like now we are I'm driving. My FTOs and the past, and he like drive a hundred miles an hour if you need to get there. When they say officers being shot at, you get there. So I'm going cold. I'm still following the traffic laws, like stopping it, stopping things like that. But I'm I'm flying to get there. So we get there. By the time I get there, um, now we stacked up on the door. We got the whole apartment complex like surrounded. We stacked up on the door. Because my FTO at the time, he was a SWAT member and things like that. So I'm with him.

Sterling 39:28

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 39:29

Um, so we stacked up. We hear the female on the side screaming. Um so now we get the we get the green lights of like force entry. We um kick the door in, go in. The guy runs from the living room to the back door. Um Dominic like chasing him. Like he chased him through the back door. The dude slams the room door. As soon as he slams the room door in his face, Dominic hurries up and busts the room open. As soon as he busts the door open, the guy fires around, shoots Dominic in the chest. Shoot him in the chest, he kind of falls into like he falls into like this little den, like this little den area where it kind of is blocked. He gets up, he gets to fire his AR into the room. Um, everybody like just shooting into the room. Um, after his fire, his round stopped, we we stopped. And then we kind of like cleared a room. Obviously, unfortunately, the guy was um deceased, right? He was killed. Yeah, he was killed on that call. But it was like um the female, like the lady, this lady was in there being held against her will with a guy who was highly intoxicated on whatever drugs he was on, had weapons. And like, granted, one life was taken, but we saved the one. It was one of those things where it was like it was still tough because like you involved with some with somebody getting killed, which is one of the most traumatizing things ever.

Sterling 40:54

Right.

Rayshon McGrew 40:55

But um the the smiles that she had as how she ran out and started hugging offices, like, thank you so much, crying, terrified. It's like you this was this is the best moment for her, but like worst moment for y'all. This guy is like, you know, yeah. So it's like it's it's things that cops that cops experience and that you gotta you gotta deal with and it's that people don't know and stuff like that. I don't like you, your family might not even know that stuff because you don't want to talk about it again. But that was a call where I was like, I try to take the positive from it, like I just save somebody's life. So I I keep running with that, like I save somebody's life, I save somebody's life, and not necessarily me running from the pain of that call, because I do deal with, I deal with it, like I understand it, that it comes with it, but I I just like to live in a moment of the positive, like I saved this lady life. I I helped save this lady's life, I should say. Yeah, she's she's doing whatever she's doing in life right now because of y'all. Because I exactly because we wasn't scared to respond to this call and do our jobs. So that's what made me like I love this job. Like I'm I can I really felt like I a superhero for that quick moment, like I saved somebody's life. That call and everything, and it was just like it was it was an awesome feeling, you know. But then later on, I sat back in and I was like, man, this this this guy has lost his life over this. Like it was it was tough. It was tough.

Sterling 42:22

I I just it's it's amazing. It's amazing what you experienced on the job. You said I feel that there are many skills that are needed, but many can be taught from training. What I feel is essential to success is the knowledge of what you are set up for. You're signing up, this is the part I'm getting at. You're signing up to put a stranger's life, lower lives, before yours. And if you can't do that, don't do this job.

Rayshon McGrew 43:01

Yeah, what I mean by that was the skills that you could be taught. You could be taught how to shoot a gun, you could be taught how to drive a police car the proper way, you could be taught how to write a report, you could be taught all of those things throughout your training and your ex your time in FTO, field training offices and all that. You could be taught that stuff.

Sterling 43:21

Right.

Rayshon McGrew 43:21

But you could not be taught the the bravery of knowing that when somebody's life in danger and people's lives is in danger. Give me goosebumps constantly throughout this. You know what I'm saying? Like because you you you've been there, you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. People's

Family-First Philosophy and Military Service

Rayshon McGrew 43:39

lives is in danger 24-7. And your your whole duty of like the biggest part of your duty is to either prevent it or be there while it's happening. So you gotta have that willpower to be like, okay, this person is trying to kill this person or trying to do this to this person. I have to go stop it. Do you have the the bravery to be like, okay, this is my job, I gotta go do it? Because some people don't like everybody, like a lot of people think like I can be a I can go be a police officer because they always think like, oh, I will never be in that situation, or I will never get into the shooting, or I would never but you you don't know that, right? You know, right, right. And I I I hear it a lot when I talk to like regular civilians, because a lot of people I don't tell like I used oh, I used to be a cop. Like people, even here in the military, I don't tell them like I used to be a cop. So when they be like, oh, this cop got killed sitting in his car because I'll never I would never be just sitting in my car doing that. Everybody say they'll never be doing it until they're in that situation, right? You're running from call to call and you you working on 14 hours. Exactly. You don't you gotta find somewhere to sit to type these reports and stuff like that.

Sterling 44:52

So like right, right. And every element, every element from the heat to the snow to the rain, it's like, you know, and I and I I agree 100%. And um, you know, if you if you listen to the intro of diary of an LEO, you know, I briefly talk about my first exposure to law enforcement and my foster mom popping my mouth because I said a derogatory term. And I'm saying that because it it emulates everything that what you just said. First responders are that's why they're called first responders. Uh-huh. Because when every and just like my my foster mom said, she said when everyone else is running away from the danger, they're running to it. You're running towards. And yo, I and this we're talking over, oh my god, I'm dating myself over 40 years, bro. And I remember that. And it just that's something I brought into my my interview. I and it was just like it's it's a real, you know, and it's it's so real. Um anybody can play that money back quarterback and say what they would have done and what they shouldn't have done. And again, and until you're in those shoes and you realize that every decision hinges on a choice, split second, muscle memory. Yeah. Yeah, I 100% agree, brother. It's tough. It's it's a tough, it's a really tough job. It's a tough job. And you said you was you were in the the crime suppression unit.

Rayshon McGrew 46:38

Yes. What was that?

Sterling 46:39

Like, how long were you in that?

Rayshon McGrew 46:41

So when I got back from Lancaster, um I went when I went back to Daytona, obviously it was my old department. So they they just put me through, I had two days of FTO. They're like, we want to see if you still remember everything. So I went, I had two days of FTO. Um, I once I started sending my reports in the first two shifts, they were like, Oh, you you you picked it back up exactly where you left it, whatever. You're fine. So I went back on my own. Because if they told me you, you on your own, you're in the car by yourself. Um, so went back on my own. That's my first like seven months, eight months back on the road, um, I was I was getting into everything. Traffic, traffic stops, I'm going to all the hot calls, anything shooting related, fighting related, gang. I'm just going to everything because I was happy to be back. Like I'm I'm ready, I'm ready to go. Okay.

Sterling 47:34

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 47:34

Um, so um when they they sent out a memo through the department email, like, hey, we um put your applications in or put your memos in to join the crime suppression team. I had like all the sergeants and lieutenants emailing me and texting me, like, McGrew, put your put your memo in right now. Put your memo in. Like, you you need to be there. So what the crime suppression team is, is like it's the guys, it's the guys that people see on TV. That every when people think about wanting to be a cop, it's it's who you think of. It's like you get to wear the jeans, whatever shoes you want, you get to wear the cool black tech vest. Like you, you know, the cool looking cops. Right. So that's right. So but you they don't understand the severity of the people like that job. Like you are the person who are in the plane cars, you are out scoping to prevent things happening before they happen. You're doing all the dangerous stuff. So um when I got back, I end up, I put my memo in for that. I did the interview. Um, the captain was like, I I call people, let them know. I got a call as soon as I left the interview, like, hey, you could you got a spot. Wow. Got a spot on there.

Sterling 48:42

Wow.

Rayshon McGrew 48:43

Um, and then look, that was a whole new, it was a whole new world to me because like we're using so much different technology. We're using like um hitting hitting cameras on certain things. Um like the the things that the things that we was hiding cameras in, it was mind blowing to me. Like it was it was complete. It was like, no, like it was mind blowing. Like, I'm gonna give you just one, I'm gonna give you one item that we hit a camera in that I it you know, like the monster energy drink?

Sterling 49:10

Yeah.

Rayshon McGrew 49:11

We had a camera that was a monster, and it looked like a regular can. So like we do operations where we do like drug vibes. We put we we pull up in the unmarked car, regular clothes. Um, we got we got the dope or whatever. We got the monster can and uh in the center console in the in the cup holder, and we're doing a whole transaction, like it looked normal. Everything looks like a normal car. But the whole time this can is record video, audio, everything. And I'm just looking like it's crazy to think how much technology has come. So we're doing stuff like that, getting like search wants for things, doing raids, all type of stuff, man.

Sterling 49:50

And it was like and I'm gonna play devil's advocate here. We we still behind not just our valor, but our vigor that keeps us in the fight, man, because you know it's as soon as you you come up with this, it's like, okay, they done came up with something else.

Rayshon McGrew 50:09

Yeah, they're gonna come up with a counter.

Sterling 50:11

Exactly. Exactly.

Rayshon McGrew 50:12

It's cat and mouse. Cat and mouse.

Sterling 50:14

Yeah, yeah. Cat's the way the mice will play.

Rayshon McGrew 50:17

I also say coming from patrol, you you don't see stuff like this. You see oh you see calls for service and traffic stops mostly. But then when you get into a situation like that where you're kind of doing detective work, it's like it's mind blowing to see what they do on the end. So that was it, it was it was fun being there.

Sterling 50:34

Now, if you because I know you you you're in the s you're in the navy now, if you go back to um that department, are you is that's is that going to be like the career in that in that department, or do you think you want to go higher up and in rank?

Rayshon McGrew 50:53

Uh going but I think like when you go and when you dealing with a job with law enforcement, right? You have to like you have to you have to listen to your body, right? Um is it is it great being out on the road? Yes, it's amazing.

Sterling 51:10

Let me hear that really quick. I think everyone needs to hear that. I've never heard anyone say that. You have to listen to your body. Wow. Go ahead.

Rayshon McGrew 51:23

Yeah, so it it like I say, it's great being out there. Like we all got that adrenaline that we love to get out. But like you just said, um, we so far behind. Like these these kids and these people, they are getting smarter, faster, stronger, they more dangerous. They're not they're not scared to like hurt us now. So um you gotta know your limits. Like if your body is to a point where it's like, okay, like I'm not, I'm not chasing these, I can't chase these kids down no more. Um, I can't hop over this gate like I used to. Um I can't, I can't duck and bend and get up and down as fast as I can. So if bullets start flying, how fast can I get down to cover? How fast can I get back up? So you gotta trust, you gotta understand your body and be like, should I be in the streets or should I now pass my knowledge to these people that we've trained and trust for them to take care of the streets? And you know, me sit sit back and kind of quarterback the situation. So um, as of now, my body feels good. Like if I was there now, like I'll still be on the streets, my body feel great. But who's to say in five years, like, if my knees feel the same or my back feel the same? Yeah. So that that's a question that I have to, like I said, I had to listen to my body. And then that would kind of transition me to my next phase of my career.

Sterling 52:39

And you what was what was it like? Explain what what the term adopt a cop is. What what program is that?

Rayshon McGrew 52:48

So it was a program that our chief um he implemented in a city where a lot of kids in the in that city was um less fortunate. They they they didn't have like Christmas, like good Christmases or Thanksgivings and things like that. So during the holidays, they will ask cops to volunteer to pretty much adopt a family where you take them to a Walmart, um, Target, whatever store they choice, and you just you let them get a couple Christmas gifts, like things like that. You could we they did bike giveaways, um, back to school programs where they gave them school supplies and all the stuff. They need uniforms. But like every Christmas, you get a random family, and we all meet at Walmart. And then the families meet us at Walmart, and we pretty much take the kids Christmas shopping. We give them some, um, give them a couple Christmas gifts and toys and stuff. It's it's amazing. Uh it's just giving back, you know, small things to give back to the community.

Sterling 53:45

And I didn't know I didn't understand how much uh uh the community plays in policing until I went to the academy. Um and the whole matter of fact, the whole concept was uh community policing. You know, and if we don't have that support, we don't have that trust, we don't have that that assurance and uh vindication that we we're we're there helping others then it makes our makes our job uh so much more complicated and challenging. So you know, and then a hundred percent that program and those programs like that they do so much more for the community because it shows that, hey, look, uh I'm out here uh putting my life on the line, but I understand values. So that leads me to go into the next question that you had mentioned about morals and values. Do you believe that having those I I would say innate qualities? Because that's not a skill. That's something that you have to have. Every officer needs to have that. Or if you if you don't have to do that, you gotta leave. That's another that's that's another reason why I would say it's time for you to find another career choice. Have you ever been in a situation? I'm sorry, ever been in a situation where you've had to make that choice or possibly say to someone, hey look, you need to rethink this.

Rayshon McGrew 55:41

Um, because um not not have them rethink it, but like when I'm on a call, if I'm on the call first, this is my call. Like I don't care who comes, like this is my call. Like I'll respond first, I got all the information. This is my call. I'm running this call how I need to run it. Unless you guess a supervisor or above.

Sterling 56:01

Okay.

Rayshon McGrew 56:02

But I did I did back up officers on calls where I didn't I didn't like the way they investigated. I didn't agree with the way they investigated, but once the investigation was over, you know, I I I talked to him one-on-one, like man to man, like, hey, you was extremely disrespectful. I get you are the person in charge here. You you you you are supposed to establish the dominancy and you know, you're supposed to do that, but like he was extremely disrespectful to this person. That it that was unnecessary. I talked to him about that and come to find out, um, like I said, I was good with the command staff. My lieutenant, me and her had a great relationship, right? She trusted me to kind of run a shift when she was doing her admin stuff. And she spoke to me about it. She's like, Have you ever seen this officer doing like this, this, and this? I'm like, I spoke to him about it before, but I don't know if it's a um continuous thing he's been doing because I'm like, I try not to get on his calls because we we keep bumping heads because I don't like the way I see him talk to people. So they start pulling his icons on and stuff and kind of people because civilians will complain on you if you they feel like you mistreating them, they will complain. Oh, I know. So they complained on him a couple times.

Sterling 57:15

No, I know, I know. I know the first thing they say, like, look, don't you think that listen, we will know where you at. You could be in another city, we will know where you at. I was like, wow.

Rayshon McGrew 57:27

So they could they complained on him, and um, he had he had some IA investigations and things like that, but like I kind of left that in their hands, like the supervisor hands, like, hey, you guys need to maybe monitor him or send him back through certain trainings because I'm like, some things he's doing is he's gonna meet the wrong person who's having a really bad day, and he's gonna escalate their bad day, and it's gonna lead to a situation where it shouldn't have never led to. So um, yeah, I I definitely ran into people like that before. And I, you know, I'll try to give you my my piece first. And if you know not taking the piece, then at that point I gotta kind of let the supervisors do their job. That's their job at that point. It's like, hey, we we need to take a look at this guy and and see what's going on. Because some people, man, they leave they leave home having a bad day, and that that transition all the way through work. Since they're mad at someone having a home, now they're having a bad day at work and they take it out on the civilians, which is not fair at all. Don't put your bad day from your personal life on me. Like you're supposed to be here to help me. Right, right, right. So 100%. I I'll tell I'll tell I tell kids that too. Like, who used to be in the car with me? Like, hey, I'm your FTO. How was your how was your day when you left home? How's everything with you and your girlfriend or your wife or whatever? Oh no, it was great. She told me, all right, because if you're having a bad day, I'm gonna run this ship today. I don't need you still thinking about you, you and your wife arguing this morning, and then now you're coming to work and you go to a domestic, now you're automatically siding with the guy because your wife made you mad and you don't want to take the female side. I need you, I need you clear headed while you investigate while you're doing your investigation.

Sterling 59:10

That's a unique perspective. I never wow. Wow, I can see why you're I mean, bro, that was that was I didn't you spun that flawless, I didn't even think about it coming out like that. Like if you are arguing with your significant other, you get out there on a call, you already gonna be biased.

Rayshon McGrew 59:33

Exactly. Because whatever she probably, this this lady is complaining about, you probably dealt with it with your wife before. And now you like, my wife be tripping. I know you tripping, so I know this dude ain't do not want to, you know. So um you gotta be clear-headed when you go into certain calls and doing investigations and stuff. I took a lot of training classes. Um any any class that was available for me to better myself as an officer, I took. The department sent me to it and I took it. Like I wanted to, I want to make sure I'm doing everything to help people the best way possible. Not for me, but for me to better help you. You know, it's like being a doctor, right? You don't want to like in the area. So when you get into the situation, you gotta do a procedure, you can't do it. Like, so I kind of look at things in that nature. Like, I want to be able to be well-rounded. I won't need to sharpen any tools. I take that perspective into everything I do. I want to be the best that I can be. Well, before we help you the best way.

Sterling 1:00:35

Before we end, um, I want to talk about your again, your career choice and going into the service. And first and foremost, I want to thank you for your service. Um thank you, sir. Yes, sir. I know you spoke about it briefly earlier, but um how did you sign up? How what was your what was your term? Like what was your five years, three years?

Rayshon McGrew 1:01:01

Yeah, so um what me my my decision on joining the military was um I know everybody, especially people like who's around our age, 30 and above. Right.

Sterling 1:01:11

Right.

Rayshon McGrew 1:01:11

They see all the speculation that's going on in the media about we could be going to war, China could be trying to attack us, this X, Y, and Z. If we lose, this is gonna happen. That's gonna happen. Um, like I say, I risk my I risk my life every day being a law enforcement off. The day I leave my house, my life was in danger, right?

Sterling 1:01:29

Right, exactly.

Rayshon McGrew 1:01:30

100%, 100%. Loved my loved my job. I love everything that I gained from it, everything that they provide me with. The military provides you with the same type of thing. So like, granted, it's not about benefits and things like that, but they they are important. You need to make sure you're taken care of also. So the military offer great benefits for me that benefits me and my family. For me at furthering my education, I can I'm I'm trying to work and finish getting my master's degree.

Sterling 1:01:58

Um, congratulations on that too. I know we spoke earlier and you caught me off. Man, you just you just be catching me, bro. I've been talking because we've been going through, yeah, we've been trying to get this interview for a while now. And you know, one of the last DMs you sent me was, um, I'll get to it when I'm out of class. I'm thinking, I'm sitting back, like, okay, he's he's an officer, he's in the military, and he just he's a husband, he's a he's a dad, he's a friend. Did you just say you get to me when he's out of class? Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.

Rayshon McGrew 1:02:36

Wow. So um they helped me, they helped me get my master's. Um, they obviously medical benefits, uh, great retirement plan, things like that. I'm like, I talked to my wife about it. We sat down. Um, she asked me my input. I was like, we in as a country is in a tough situation now. I'm like, I feel like I'm well equipped. I'm like, if I can go there and help just a fraction, a little piece that can help sway that totem pole. I'm like, I want to do it. Um and she's like, if that's something you want to do, you know I'll support the decisions you make and things that you want to do, like I will support you. And um I knew for I knew that I had job security, so if I didn't want to stay in the military, I can always go back to what I was doing. Um, or if I want to stay here and do 20 here, I can also do that. So that was one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to join because I knew I wasn't losing anything. I'm like, right, I can go do my four or five years. If things don't work out, I can just go back to where I was at. Or if I do like my four and five years here, I could just reenlist and keep things going. But I wanted to be a part of some points of this country needing as many people as they can get right now. And I was like, I know I can help. I know for a fact I can help. I know what I can bring to the table and what I will bring to the table. So um I went and signed up. I'm loving it. Um, it's amazing. Um I met some great people. Soon I'm gonna go be seeing some beautiful places. And um just trying to sharpen myself so if things do hit the fan, I'm I'm prepared, trying to make sure the people around me prepared, make sure my family prepares so whatever happens, happens. Uh everybody is in a situation where they need to be stable and set up.

Sterling 1:04:26

I just again, like I gotta, I gotta just say it, and I've said it before. Every time you start a conversation, you always link it back to family. And again, bro, I just I can't I mean I hope you know everyone who's listening to this, this is so important that all the decisions that you're making, you know, but uh uh on the flip side, a lot of off young officers may not have family, they may be single. But still, what we're saying is reach out to someone that you care, that you value their time and their uh comments because it's a part of your decision process. It's a part of uh what would complete you to be ready to be on your A game. And every this I mean we've been going at it for like an hour now. Um but every every 10 12 minutes it's my family is secure, I'm ready, I'm it's got me ready to do this. I had to check back with my family. And because you know, you know, as we know, in law enforcement, uh we are one big collective family. No doubt about it. But at the same time, you need to check in with the family that's in your house behind your closed doors, your walls. So that's utterly important, man. And I can't thank you enough for saying that. Um is there anything that you would like to say to anyone out there in law enforcement, aspiring to be in law enforcement? Enforcement, um, your friends, colleagues in Daytona out here in PA.

Rayshon McGrew 1:06:08

What I would like to say to everybody who's listening, who will who ears will cross this podcast is that um don't rush the process. Um try to be try to be the best human being for yourself first, and then everything else will fall in line. Something positive my dad told me was basketball might not be your purpose. Because as a kid growing up, I thought basketball was my life. Everything I thought was was about basketball. That might not be your life, your purpose. But as I got older, I personally feel now that my per my purpose on life, why God put me here was to make an impact on my two beautiful kids. I think my I think I think my my biggest take from me being alive is gonna be shown with them when they grow up. I think they're gonna be like, oh my God, this is why he was put here to teach them how to do X, Y, Z. So when they so I think my my my feedback, my review is gonna is gonna show probably when I'm not here. I'm not gonna be allowed to see it. So with me saying that is just saying this is that be a great person. Like you might not get the the glory and the and the praise now, but like it's it's gonna live, it's gonna live for generations. Whatever your purpose is, it's gonna live for generations. So make sure that you're not doing things for your own benefit, you're doing it for the right reasons. I do everything I do for the right reasons. I do it to help people and I do it for my family so my kid can have a positive role

Final Thoughts on Purpose and Legacy

Rayshon McGrew 1:07:38

model. So other people's kids can have a positive role model. And I know it's probably kids out there who are impacted. That's gonna be like, I remember Officer McGrew did X, Y, and Z, or he helped me with this, or he helped me with that. And that's gonna lead to them probably telling their kids that story one day. So your name can live on more than just for something that you did. Just be like I said, be a good, be a good human, be a good person, whether it's law enforcement or whatever field you or career path you do take, just be the best person you could be. Don't be selfish and um just be caring, be loving. Everybody has kids, everybody have brothers, sisters, mom, dads. Treat them like they were yours. That's my biggest feedback to everybody. Treat everybody like they're your family member.

Sterling 1:08:21

Officer McGrew, I just want to say thank you for coming on Diary of an LEO. You are a phenomenal friend, colleague, brother-in-law enforcement, phenomenal husband, father, uh, FTO, and your department is blessed to have you. Likewise, U.S. Navy as a stellar officer. And I wish you and your family very best. And as always, see we would say in law enforcement, watch your sticks out there and make sure you ever day. I love you, brother.

Rayshon McGrew 1:09:01

Love you, brother. Thank you for having me.

Sterling 1:09:03

Take care.

Rayshon McGrew 1:09:04

Yes, sir.