Features Editor

If Larry Ross was nervous Friday afternoon when the Pike County Sheriff’s Department was giving chase to a suspect at Still’s Crossroads, he didn’t show it.

But, then he wouldn’t.

Ross is a seasoned police officer and, then, he wasn’t out here either.

But, if asked, he probably would admit that he was a bit shaky inside. His son, Marc, fresh out of the police academy and with less than a week on the job, was there.

The inherent danger of law enforcement is the reason Ross didn’t encourage his son to follow in his footsteps and the reason his wife, Glenda, pleaded with their son not to follow the same career path.

"I didn’t know until Marc graduated from high school that he was even interested in police work," said Ross, who is the crime scene investigator with the Troy Police Department. "I really had no idea. But, when he told me, I didn’t discourage him. I really couldn’t because it’s the work I do and the work I want to do."

For a son to follow in his father’s footsteps is a great tribute to any man, but it also carries with it a great responsibility.

When Marc was growing up, Ross didn’t realize his young son’s eyes were on his every move and his ears heard his every word. He did realize he was role model as a father and he knows, now, even more than that.

Ross didn’t follow any footsteps into law enforcement. He just worked his way into it.

"I started as a dispatcher for the Brundidge Police Department when I was in college," he said. "There, I got interested in law enforcement and