Nashville Officers Initiate Good Guys Challenge

From Fox17 Nashville - To view original article, click here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Remember the great success of the Ice Bucket Challenge? Now, the Metro Nashville Police Department is hoping to start a national movement with its "Good Guy Challenge."

It all started nine years ago with the unlikely graduation of a 40-year-old rookie cop. Henry Particelli brought a lot of life experience to the Metro Police Department, including a music background.

Now, Sgt. Particelli wrote a song called "We are the Good Guys" for his own graduation. Since then, he has played it countless times at countless events. But, all of that experience didn't matter at Officer John Anderson's funeral.

"Definitely the toughest performance of my life," said Sgt. Particelli. "Looking out at his family and my brothers, gosh that was a tough one."

Music producer Juanita Copeland was watching the funeral live from her legendary sound emporium studio.

"I thought this was another good guy and we've lost another good guy, but then my music industry wheels starting turning and I thought we can really do something with this song," said Copeland.

So, the song got the full Nashville treatment with A-list players in an A-list studio. The best part: everyone did it for free, including Sgt. Particelli. All proceeds going to the brand new Good Guys Foundation. Every download puts a little money in the pocket of a family of a fallen or injured police officer. Particelli had no idea that nine years ago, he was writing a hit.

"I think it strikes a nerve. There is nothing contrived, it's something I've lived through, I've gone through," Particelli said. "It's a four minute story song like a lot of songs, but it is authentic. I have lived it.

"The next step was a no brainer - Put together a police sing-along, chorus only, and put it to photos of the good work, often unnoticed Nashville Police are doing all over this community. Then they challenge other police departments to sing and post. And, of course, anyone can donate to the foundation. After all, it has become a big idea.

"It became very apparent that we were doing more than recording an eloquent song, be an anthem of sorts that will start a movement I hope across our country that will lift up the men and women in blue and let the community know these are good guys," Copeland said.

More than 20 Nashville police officers gathered at the sound emporium for the sing-a-long. They are hoping other departments will add their voices.