On a rainy night near Thanksgiving in 2007 — years before he ever wore a sheriff’s star — Adam King ran across a dark pasture toward a car that was on fire. There was a stranger inside, and that was the only reason he needed.
A wrong turn on a rainy night
Adam and his wife, Tammy, were living on FM 4, out near the FM 3136 intersection. It was after dark and raining when a car coming from Grandview took the curve too fast, lost control, and rolled. It tore through the fence and came to rest on its side in the pasture. When oil from the engine reached the hot catalytic converter, the car caught fire.
A dead run toward the flames
Adam didn’t wait to see what would happen next. He took off at a dead run across the wet field, climbed up onto the overturned, burning car, and forced his way to the windshield — kicking it out to reach the person inside. As it turned out, the fire burned itself down as the oil spent itself and the light rain fell. But Adam had no way of knowing that when he started running. He ran anyway.
The measure of a man
He wasn’t the sheriff then. He wasn’t on duty. No one called him, and no one would have blamed him for hanging back. He ran toward the danger because that is simply who he is — and, as the friend who shared this story puts it, he still acts the same to this day.
“Adam ran toward the danger on his own time, without being prompted. That is part of the man he is.” — JL, lifelong friend of Adam King
This account was shared by JL, who has known Adam King for most of his life.