GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (AP) - In the early spring of 2020, with a pandemic spreading across the state and social distancing a necessity, a Goose Creek Police Department veteran and a 9-year-old autistic boy became pen pals, exchanging dozens of letters over a 10-month span.
In November, A.J. Petelo had a special request to make of Capt. Thomas Hill: Would he be his godfather?
Hill, a father of three children already, knew it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Cynicism and callousness can easily take over,” said Hill, who joined the department in 2005.
“We see the revolving door of our justice system and begin to feel that we are not making an impact,” he added.
“A.J.’s letter has given me a glimmer of hope and brought tears to my eyes.”
The idea of creating a better relationship between Petelo and the police came from A.J.’s mother, Kanesha Leach-Petelo.
Leach-Petelo had grown up in the small city of Lancaster and had always enjoyed a close relationship with local law enforcement. She wanted the same thing for her son but knew it could be a challenge after the family moved to the Lowcountry two years ago.
“A.J. is autistic, but he’s high-functioning,” said Leach-Petelo, who runs KP’s Blessed Bakery Bites, an at-home bakery business.
“In stressful situations A.J.’s verbal skills leave him, so he doesn’t talk,” she said. “Growing up in a small town, that wasn’t that big of a concern because everyone knows everybody and there seems to be more safety with police in those situations.”
In November 2019, Leach-Petelo called the police department inquiring if they conducted tours of the building for the public. A few days later, Hill, along with another officer, gave the family a behind-the-scenes look at the department, which included getting a sample of A.J.’s fingerprint, a highlight of the afternoon.
“Captain Hill and A.J. bonded immediately,” Leach-Petelo said.
A.J. and his mother would continue the relationship, visiting the police station about once a month. Leach-Petelo would bring homemade cupcakes and other treats for Hill and his fellow officers. The friendship grew. Hill and several police officers were special guests at A.J.’s birthday party a month later on New Year’s Eve in 2019.
“Everyone in the department kind of got on board with what was going on,” Hill said.
When the pandemic hit in March, the visits to the police station became less frequent. A.J. already had several pen pals and decided to add Hill to the list of people he would write.
“A.J. would ask the most random questions, like what was Captain Hill’s favorite color, or what was it like to be a member of SWAT,” Leach-Petelo said. “To his credit, Captain Hill answered every question.”
Then came the biggest question of all. In November, A.J. wrote to Hill asking if he would be his godfather. Three months later, Hill still gets emotional talking about the letter.
“It was overwhelming,” Hill said. “I’m glad I shut my door when I read it the first time. There was no way I was going to refuse that request.”
Leach-Petelo said this journey began with the idea of building a bridge between her son and the police department. With the recent social unrest and strained relationship between law enforcement and the Black community, that became even more important to her.
“Initially, I wanted A.J. to meet the police officers for safety reasons,” Leach-Petelo said. “I know eventually he’s going to grow up and be a young Black man in society. Hopefully. he won’t be just a young Black man to the police. He’ll be A.J.”
But the friendship that has been built between A.J. and Hill over the past 18 months has exceeded even her wildest expectations.
“Change is going to start at home,” Leach-Petelo said. “If I, as a parent, project an ‘us versus them mentality,’ that’s the way A.J. is going to see it. I want to change that narrative. I want A.J. to see past the uniform and see police officers as human beings. It’s been wonderful getting to know the officers. He considers them his friends and family.”
A sentiment shared by Hill.
“There is a huge divide right now between police and the minority population and we need to figure out some way to come together and understand each other,” Hill said. “It’s extremely important to have that community outreach and the only way to do that is get out there and do it.”
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