IT WAS VERY VIOLENT AND SUCH

A SENSE OF FEAR AND INSTABILITY

IN MY HOME BECAUSE WE NEVER

KNEW

WHEN HE WOULD BE DRINKING.

WHEN DEBRA WAS 10 SHE KNEW

WHEN HER FATHER WAS DRUNK THE

MOTHER WOULD PAY THE PRICE AND

ONE NIGHT IT STOPPED.

THERE WAS A SILENCE IN THE

HOUSE AND ERIE SILENCE AND FROM

CHAOS TO STILLNESS SO I GOT OUT

OF BED AND I WALKED TOWARD A

LIGHT IN THE KITCHEN. I SAW MY

FATHER CHOKING THE LIFE OUT OF

HER. I KNEW HE WAS KILLING MY

MOTHER.

DEBRA GRABBED A SKILLET AND

HIT HER DAD AND DISTRACTED HE

TURNED ON DEB.

AND HE PUNCHED ME AND

KNOCKED

ME UNCONSCIOUS.

FINALLY HER MOTHER DIVORCED

HER DAD AND THE CHAOS ENDED BUT

LEFT HER IN FEAR OF MEN.

THERE WAS A DEEP ROOT FEAR

OF

MEN. THEY WEREN'T SAFE TO ME

AND I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WITH

MEN. I WAS SHUT OFF.

FEMALE INTRIGUED HER AND SHE

BECAME SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO

GIRLS.

SO I STRUGGLED WITH THESE

FEELINGS, THOSE E EMOTIONS.

THERE WAS THINGS GOING ON AS

FAR

AS MY SEXUALITY. I THOUGHT I

WAS DIFFERENT.

DEBORAH DATED WOMEN IN

COLLEGE BUT STRUGGLED WITH THE

CHOICE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF INNER

TURMOIL GOING ON. THERE IS

SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT IS NOT

RIGHT, NOT NATURAL, SO THERE

WERE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON

IN

MY HEAD AND EMOTIONS.

DEBRA WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO

MEET THE PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

TO BECOME A PAROL OFFICER IN THE

LAS VEGAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND

SHE WORKED WITH A WOMAN AND WAS

PROMOTED UP THE RANKS. SHE

DIDN'T INTEND TO STOP UNTIL SHE

REACHED CAPTAIN.

I AM THE PIONEER AND PAVING

THE WAY AND FAILURE WAS NOT AN

OPTION.

BUT THERE WERE SOME AGAINST

A

WOMAN HOLDING THE TOP SPOT.

THERE WERE SEVERAL THAT DID

THIS AND IT PERPETUATED THE

FEAR

FROM MY DAD.

THIS FUELED HER TO BECOME

CAPTAIN. SHE NEVER SUSPECTED

HOW FAR THEY WOULD GO TO STOP

HER. ONE OF THE OFFICERS CAME

IN AND WAS WEARING A RECORDER.

HE SAID IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY

YOU CAN TRANSFER AND THEY SAID

THAT WAS INTIMIDATING AND THEY

USED THAT AGAINST ME.

SHE FACED AN INVESTIGATION

AND POSSIBLE DEMOTION AND

PLACED

ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

I WAS SHOCKED IT WAS LIKE

REALLY? HERE I AM. I AM

HIGHLY

DECORATED AND DISTINGUISHED

OFFICER AND ON THE DEPARTMENT

FOR 18 PLUS YEARS AND I AM

THINKING IS THIS WHAT IT COME

TO?

DEB TOOK HER GUN AND

CONSIDERED KILLING HERSELF.

IT WAS SO INTENSE. THERE

WAS

PAIN, DEEP HURT. THERE WAS

ANGER. THEY WERE GOING TO PULL

THIS OFF AND GET AWAY WITH IT

AND I KNEW THAT. NOT ONLY WAS

I

LOSING MY CLEAR I WAS LOSING MY

IDENTITY. MY IDENTITY WAS A

POLICE OFFICER.

INSTEAD OF PULLING THE

TRIGGER DEBRA BEGGED GOD FOR

HELP.

GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL, IF

YOU'RE REALLY GOD, I NEED YOU.

AND I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES AND

I

STARTED TO WEEP. THIS LIGHT

CAME IN. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE

WAVES OF LOVE AND PEACE WASHING

OVER ME. I NEVER EXPERIENCED

THAT BEFORE. IT WAS SO INTENSE

BUT SO COMFORTING AND I WAS

COMFORTED.

DEBRA ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST.

I SURROUNDED MY LIFE TO HIM.

OKAY. YOU CAN HAVE ME.

DEBRA BEGAN READING THE

BIBLE

EVERYDAY AND REALIZED SHE HAD

TO

TURN AWAY FROM HER BES BEAN

LIFESTYLE.

AND I READ IT IS NOT GOD'S

DESIGN. WHAT? I AM NOT BORN

THIS WAY? I BOUGHT THE LIE AND

A GENETIC THING AND HOW I WAS

CREATEED.

WHEN THE INVESTIGATION WAS

OVER DEBRA E DEMOTED TO

SERGEANT

AND ACCEPTED IT WITH DIGNITY.

AND I KEPT MY HEAD HELD HIGH

AND I HAD SOMETHING I DIDN'T

HAVE BEFORE AND THAT'S JESUS

AND

HE GAVE ME THE STRENGTH AND THE

GRACE TO GO BACK.

AFTER 21 YEARS OF SERVICE

DEB

LEFT THE POLICE OFFICER AND

BECAME AN AUTHOR AND WROTE A

BOOK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE AND

LEADS A BIBLE STUDY ABOUT

OVERWHELMING DIVERSITY THROUGH

JESUS CHRIST.

HE TURNED BY LIFE AROUND.

MY

LIFE TODAY WITH CHRIST IS

AMAZING.