Keisha Huff has always admired her father, Greg Fugitt, not only for being an excellent father, but also for his commitment to public service. Fugitt, 58, started his career in 1980 as a firefighter and emergency medical services worker before becoming a police officer in eastern Kentucky in 1996, when Huff was seven.
Huff grew up in Kentucky and has many fond memories of her father’s time in law enforcement. Some of her favourite memories include arriving at school dances and proms in a police car, with her dates sitting in the backseat.
“It was always a fun time,” Huff, 36, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Other memories include seeing him serve our community. He helps run the Toys for Tots programme in town, which distributes toys to underprivileged children during the Christmas season.
He has served as both our town’s chief and Santa several times. He has been known to dress up and visit nursing homes, parades, children, and other locations in his Santa suit.”
“For many years, it was just me and him,” she says. “He has always been my real-life superhero. I admire him for so much, but what sticks out most is that he raised me on his own for almost all of my childhood. He did it for low wages as well, but I never went hungry. Above all, he ensured that I was taken care of.
Fugitt announced to his daughter and family about a year ago that he was retiring after years of service. When Huff realised his retirement date was approaching, she felt sad. “It is a life I have known for many years,” she tells me.
“I have always been referred to as a ‘police kid.’ It felt like saying goodbye to a piece of my identity. However, he fully deserves it and has worked extremely hard. “We are all here to support him.”
Huff describes feeling a range of emotions in the days leading up to her father’s death. Huff adds that just before his last call, she and Fugitt had picked up her daughter from school one last time in grandpa’s squad car. Then they went to the police station for his final call, which was with his wife.
“After 29 years of wearing this badge with pride, and 14 years as your chief, the time has come to hang it up,” begins the man. “It has been an honour to serve this community.” He goes on to thank his colleagues, the community, and his loved ones, emphasising that this job is “more than a career, it is a calling.”
Huff says her father knew from the start that he wanted his wife to make the final call. “It was a really special moment for them,” says Huff.
Huff recorded the moment of the call on camera. Because her youngest child is only 8 months old, she knew he would not remember his grandfather as a police officer the way her daughter does, and she wanted to create these memories for him.
Later, she decided to share the video on TikTok, where it went viral, receiving nearly 11 million views and 26,000 comments. Huff adds that when she told her father about the video, he could not believe it.
“It was crazy,” Huff told PEOPLE. “My notifications would update with new ones in seconds. I joked with Dad that if we got enough views, I would send him on a well-deserved vacation.
“Most of the comments were so supportive and heartfelt,” she adds. “It reminded me just how respected our officers are. “Everyone was very sweet.”
Huff says the family intends to throw a retirement party to honour her father and his long career in the coming weeks.
“There are still a lot of people who hate and fear the police,” she claims. “I hope it demonstrates that police officers are also mothers, fathers, husbands, and regular citizens with families. It revealed a bit about his personality outside of the uniform.”