Police officers have a duty to serve and protect. And one officer is upholding his oath even after his tragic death.

Officer Blaize Madrid-Evans was a 22-year-old officer just only two months into his career in law enforcement at Independence Police Department in Missouri when he was fatally shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Madrid-Evans only got to work 18 shifts.

In a CNN interview with the department spokesperson Officer Jack Taylor, he said that to his fellow officers, they describe Madrid-Evans as someone who always had a smile on his face. That he was always eager to help in the community.

On the other hand, another police officer in a different city, Officer Mark Priebe, a 21-year veteran of the Springfield Police Department, never knew that he would soon be a recipient of Madrid-Evans’ kindness. In June 2020, he was just outside of the police headquarters when a suspect struck him with his SUV. His injuries were so severe that it results in him becoming paralyzed from the waist down.

The officers’ injuries also had complications due to his preexisting kidney condition. He was soon told that he needed a transplant. Officer Priebe explained, “I was experiencing a lot of swelling. My kidneys started to fail, and we had to start searching for a donor.”

After learning about his condition, his family quickly started the search. They approached relatives and friends and even used social media to reach out to other people who might be able to help.

Then, just recently, they got a phone call.

The Independence Police Department reached out to Priebe hoping that they would be able to help. And as it turned out, Madrid-Evans kidney was a life-saving match for Priebe!

The surgery was successful and with mixed emotions, Priebe is recovering from the transplant surgery which was done at the SSM St. Louis University Hospital. Even though Priebe had never met Madrid-Evans, he knew he was a new officer in training. He said, “I was just speechless and shocked.” He added, “It’s sad. I started out when I was 21, and to know this young man was just starting, and he knew the importance of donating organs. We were brothers in blue… It’s such a mixed bag of emotions.”

According to Heather Priebe, Mark’s wife, the gift of Madrid-Evan’s kidney is bittersweet. She adds, “I feel speechless. To be an organ recipient is one thing, but the story behind this is truly another thing. I sit in awe. There is a sense of guilt because his life was tragically taken, and here we are doing well.”

Mark Priebe said that he feels sadness for the young officer’s family. He said, “I look forward to meeting his family and honoring him in every way I can, and to raise my kids to honor Blaize and think of him.”

Officer Blaize Madrid-Evans will always be remembered by his fellow officers as the kind of person always looking for ways to help out. Even though he will never be able to serve and protect his community anymore due to his early passing, he was able to help another police officer, and in the end, he saved a life.

Officer Priebe is enjoying the gift of life. However, with a heaviness of knowing that this new chance in life came at the cost of a fellow brother in blue.