Every day, police officers across the nation leave their families at home while they work to keep the public safe.
But the fear those families face, wondering if their loved ones will return home from their shift, is something two Lubbock women know more than most. 

It was a classic love story for Tabitha and Timothy Varner.

“He was an owner of a coffee shop, called the Coffee Cup and I was a customer,” Tabitha said.

The two tied the knot, had four children, and then Timothy Varner joined the police academy.

“He wanted to help people, try to clean up the bad and help the good.”

Officer Varner became a patrolman.

“The fear sets in when he suits up and leaves every day,” Tabitha said.

Varner starts his shift before the kids get home from school.

“I pray a lot, and prayer does give me peace and helps me get through until he gets home.”

On October 12, 2013, Tabitha’s fears became reality. Varner was shot four times at the Salvation Army.

“He had told someone that he was going to have it out with the cops when they got there, 17 rounds exchanged between the two of them in less than three seconds.”

A friend had called Tabitha after hearing the news. 

“I really thought she was kidding, I thought it was a joke, I thought it was a very bad joke,” Tabitha said.

But it wasn’t a joke. Varner was shot once in the shoulder, twice in his left leg, and a deep graze in his right.

“It didn’t matter what anyone else had told me, I needed to see for myself and when I did, I was a little calmer.”

She said not once did he let his injuries stop him from getting back into his patrol car. 

“Even after everything he’s been through, he still wants to suit up and help people. He didn’t give up.”

The wounds are still fresh for Felicia Owens.

“We’re still in the rehabilitation process,” Felicia said.

Like Varner, her husband Corey joined the police academy and became a patrolman. 

“Never in my mind did it cross that he had been in an accident,” Felicia said.

It was around 1 in the morning, less than four months ago. Felicia and her two boys were asleep when her dogs started barking, and she heard someone knocking at her door.     

“I’m thinking he sent his friend over here to come check on us because he’s on a call and he couldn’t come.”

That friend told Felicia her husband had been injured.

“He was blocking traffic because it had rained a lot and it was flooded, he was hit by a drunk driver and he had to have a below the knee amputation on his right leg,” Felicia said. “I wished with all of me that i would have asked him to call in that night because I didn’t feel good to help with the boys.”

Today, Officer Owens is still adjusting to an artificial leg.

“He has his bad days, where you know his prosthetic doesn’t fit the way he wants it to and it’s hard to walk but I mean he pushes through it and I think we have more good days than bad.”

She said she never imagined the overwhelming support her family has received.

“We would not be here, and we would not be able to get through all of this without another police wife without another police family, without our blue family, no one knows what that means unless you’re in it.” Felicia said.

“They don’t hear it very often, they don’t see it very often in fact with everything going on today, it’s even more important that we show our support,” Tabitha said.