JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — James Weldon Johnson Park is a spot many people in Jacksonville head to for lunch or a quick break from work.
But, for some park goers it's more than an escape from their busy day.
"He has a fan base, a whole fan base,” Arnitra Taylor said with a big smile as she looks at Sgt. Nehemiah Pye, the park's security officer.
With his bulletproof vest and gun by his side, Pye sings during lunch and sits down to talk with parkgoers throughout the day.
“Officer Pye is like a guardian angel to me,” park goer, Tina Prater, said.
Prater and Taylor are regulars.
“I come from living in a bathroom on the riverwalk, I slept in a bathroom for a year and a half," Taylor said.
“I’m an insulin diabetic, and you know I do have a lot of mental health problems. Been homeless out here on the streets,” Prater said.
The park became their home and the melodic man with a gun became their savior.
“They mean the world to me, they really do because of who they are I am,” Pye said.
For seven years, Pye has been the park’s security officer.
“Just being realistic and being real with people really develops a strong relationship so many people are scared of the uniform as many people that are not but there are as many people scared of the uniform nowadays than there has been ever," Pye said.
It's an approach that's saving lives.
“I’ve been suicidal a couple times and I’ve actually talked to him about it and he talked me out of it," Taylor said.
“I lost my son in 2015 and he just came up to me he’s like I could feel something was wrong with you he’s like what do you need do you need to talk to somebody and I said yes and when I told him even though he’s an officer and a pastor he just held me tight and I felt like that’s what I need the most because I was ready to take my own life," Prater said.
Pye is a pastor on weekends and a security officer during the week. He heals others every day.
“Whether we believe it or not life is about relationships,from the trees and from the cars we drive the trees, need the soil to grow they need water to grow and so who are we to think that we don’t need people to grow," Pye said.
Prater, Taylor and others came to the park withered; they've since come alive.
“He just kept encouraging me not to give up to keep going and I kept going and I’m five years off the streets this year makes five years," Taylor said.
“Every time I hug Officer Pye it feels like I’m hugging my son all over again,” Prater said.
“Not only have I been a blessing to them, but they’ve been a blessing to me. I’m a better person because of who they’ve been to me," Pye said.