Road To Recovery: Former Drug Addict Thanks Officer Who Arrested Him In Phoenix

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

October 13, 2020

It is not often that someone says "thank you for arresting me." But that is exactly what happened with Josh Hamilton. "

A huge thank you to the Phoenix Police Department for apprehending me that day," Hamilton wrote in a Facebook post. "I'm sure you don't know it, but you guys saved my life."

In that post, Hamilton shared a more recent photo of himself next to one of his mug shots from more than four years ago — when he was deep in an addiction to methampthetamine.

"I understood myself only after I destroyed myself," Hamilton continued in the post. "And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I really was.

Starting in about 2010, Josh was using, stealing, and living on the streets. But everything changed on April 27th, 2016 when Josh was arrested by Phoenix Police Officer Ben Carro.

"For me, I was just another police officer doing what, I think on any given day, any police officer would have done for this gentleman," Officer Carro said. " Treated him with respect and you know, you had to arrest him that day. That's what had to happen. But, you know, I wouldn't have treated this person any differently than I've treated anybody else in my career."

According to Phoenix Police records, Josh had been arrested nearly 20 times. But something about the timing of this arrest in April of 2016 shifted everything. Four and a half years later, he's clean and he's helping others. Joshua works at AXIOM care — a drug rehabilitation facility.

"Because of him, I went to prison," Hamilton said. "And I'm grateful for it. And I think because of him and because of the people that I have met along my way, I'm sitting where I'm at. They're all a part of my success story and I'll forever be grateful for them."

From living with addiction to now helping others battle their own issues with substance abuse, Josh's story has come full circle. Well, almost full circle. Josh has always wanted to thank the officer who arrested him, and he finally got the chance to. Watch the reunion of Josh Hamilton and Officer Ben Carro above.

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.