NORTH CANTON, Ohio — As a retired Shaker Heights police officer, Bob Doles proudly wears several pins on a hat symbolizing his more than 30 years serving and protecting.
"It's a brotherhood. Police officers are a brotherhood," Doles said.
With that in mind, Doles has a unique way of helping a brother or sister-in-blue who has been hurt on the job.
On Monday, he met with North Canton police officer Patrick Lewis and presented him with a model of the officer's cruiser.
It took Doles about three weeks to build the model, which includes flashing lights and the number 2, matching Lewis's patrol car.
"Oh my Gosh, that's gorgeous," Lewis said as he looked over the model car.
Doles, who has been making model cars since he was a kid, decided to build one for Lewis after learning the officer was shot and injured while on a SWAT call last November in Jackson Township.
"It makes me feel good that I can present something to an officer to show that we really care," Doles said.
On Nov. 18, Lewis, a sniper on the Canton Regional SWAT team, responded to help the U.S Marshal's Service with a fugitive barricaded inside a motel.
RELATED: North Canton sniper credits SWAT team members for saving his life after shooting
The suspect fired shots and struck Lewis in his right arm as he was in a "sniper position."
A bullet traveled up the officer's arm and exited out his triceps.
In an interview with News 5 in December, Lewis credited two Canton officers— who are on the SWAT team— for saving his life by putting tourniquets on his arm.
"I was bleeding pretty bad and I don't know how long I would have been able to sit there," Lewis said.
Since 2017, Doles has made about 20 model police cruisers for officers injured in the line of duty, including those working for the Cleveland, Barberton, Sugarcreek and Canal Fulton police departments.
He made his first miniature police cruiser for Sgt. David White, a Uniontown police officer who survived after being shot four times on a domestic violence call in 2017.
"When I see either a news story, or on the internet, about an officer being injured mostly in the Northeast Ohio area, I will build a car for them," Doles said.
Lewis was touched by the kind gesture and immediately made plans to put his model cruiser in just the right spot.
"It's going right next to the awards and pictures. It's really nice," he said.
Lewis continues to heal. A splint was removed from his arm. He has had four surgeries so far, with one more planned to clean out and close a wound.
"I'm just wearing wraps now, better movement in my hand, a little bit more movement in the wrist," Lewis said.
Lewis is also getting ready to start counseling soon to help with the emotional end of the shooting.
In the meantime, the small gift from the retired officer was a big deal that raised his spirits.
"Like he said, we are a brotherhood and it never ends," Lewis said.
