At 8 a.m, Friday, Saline Police Officer John Belknap was set to hang up his gun and badge and retire as a police officer, capping his 37-year career in law enforcementment.
He checked in for his last shift at 8 p.m – the latest and last of thousands of midnight shifts. As of 9:45 p.m. he’d already pulled over a driver. There were going to be no freebies in Saline on Thursday just because it was Officer Belknap’s last shift.
“How do I feel about my last shift? I don’t feel anything about it,” said Belknap, who’s quick with zippy one-liners. “It’s a routine night.”
But it’s not been a routine career…