132.5 - When a Cop Sticks His Foot in His Mouth: JD Pettey, Part 2 Artwork

Hey Chaplain: The Police Wellness Podcast

The Hey Chaplain podcast is where cops encourage each other by sharing their wisdom and experience with the Chaplain. On Hey Chaplain you'll hear from dispatchers and federal agents, Sheriffs and US Marshals, as well as local detectives and patrolmen. From the LAPD to Scotland Yard, the guests on Hey Chaplain deliver advice and insights so that police officers everywhere can survive and thrive. The host, Jared Altic, has almost 30 years of experience serving and counseling military and law enforcement families. The show looks at both the humorous and traumatic sides of police life, sharing wisdom to create healthy cops both at work and at home. New podcast episodes about police life and chaplaincy are available on first, third, and fifth Mondays of each month. Look for occasional special bonus episodes! Share this podcast with a cop or someone who loves a cop.

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Hey Chaplain: The Police Wellness Podcast

132.5 - When a Cop Sticks His Foot in His Mouth: JD Pettey, Part 2

January 26, 2026 • Jared Altic

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Today we return to police officer JD Pettey to talk about what happens when an officer starts talking during someone else's tragedy and how badly that can go. JD's family has had a number of serious tragedies and he was gracious enough to share those difficult memories with us because each story is an example of cops saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, even when they knew they were talking to a fellow police. Obviously this is a sensitive conversation with discussion of suicide and other tragic deaths, but this is also one of my favorite conversations I've ever had with a police officer. I think it was instructive, insightful, and even funny at times. And we've all been there, when you need just the right words, and instead you put your foot your mouth.

Music is by Alexander Nakarada and by National Sweetheart

Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 132.5

Tags:

Police, Accidents, Assumptions, Communication, Death Notifications, Family, Humor, Jargon, Loss, Professionalism, Suicide, Tragedy, Kansas City, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma

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