There was a telling moment last week when Bowling Green Police Officer Matt Davis was being honored with the presentation of the Congressional Record by Sen. Rand Paul.

Davis was asked about his lengthy recovery from a 2023 shooting.

He said he often looked to his family, especially his three sons, to keep his motivation to continue on the long path to recovery.

“There were a lot of days I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I knew I have three kids and we have to live for others,” Davis said.

Indeed, living for others is what makes Davis and other public servants deserving of our gratitude.

Davis was responding to a disturbance at a car dealership. He encountered Esteban Lowery at the business, and Lowery pulled out a gun and shot Davis multiple times as Davis retreated down a hallway warning others in the business to take cover.

Davis was able to deploy a stun gun against Lowery moments before he was shot, and a civilian who accompanied Davis as a ride-along used a choke hold to subdue Lowery, who was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Because of Davis’ actions in warning others at the dealership while risking his own safety, no one else was injured at the dealership.

“Officer Davis is incredibly strong, both physically, to have overcome this and mentally to go through all this and get back to the police force,” Paul said at the ceremony last week at the Bowling Green Police Department. “I think it shows a great deal of personal fortitude.”

First responders like Davis routinely risk their lives for our safety. That is why the honor bestowed on Davis last week was a fitting tribute, and a good reminder that we owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line for our safety.