24-year-old became cop to help people
The 24-year-old Iowa cop who was executed in his patrol car yesterday was a loyal friend whose life mission was helping his community and being there for those who needed him most, according to his heartbroken friends who are trying to cope with the sudden, tragic loss.
“He was always smiling, never seemed to be in a bad mood or down,” said Jeff Armstrong, Justin Martin’s roommate at the Indianola, Iowa-based Simpson College for four years. “He definitely impacted a lot of good people in a positive way, either talking to them, or helping them with something they struggled with.”
Martin, who joined the Urbandale Police Department last year, loved being a cop because it allowed him to be a positive influence in his community.
“He liked helping people. As a police officer he had the opportunity to accomplish this while encountering diverse situations to keep it interesting,” said Shawn Schossow, who said he had been friends with Martin since middle school.
“He was well aware of the danger he would encounter but that didn’t deter him,” Schossow said. “That’s how much passion he had for helping people.”
Armstrong said one of Martin’s gifts was that he “could talk to anyone, which helped him when he got into the law enforcement.”
“He was a loyal honest, and a great friend who is going to be missed by many,” he said.