Standout Athlete, SWAT Team Member Now Leads New Teammates As Sergeant

(Sergeant Grimmett at the Awards for Valor)

Terry Grimmett, someone who's always been into fashion, was so unsettled by the condition of the man’s feet, Grimmett rounded up his wardrobe and gave much of it away.

At a scene, Grimmett was with a homeless man. When Grimmett looked at the man’s feet, the sergeant asked him for his shoe size.

“Twelve,” replied the man.

“I’m at 13,” Grimmett replied back. “I’ll come find you.”

At that moment, Grimmett decided to donate much of his clothes. He then collected clothes from fellow officers to add to the giveaway. Once he finished rounding up donations, Grimmett found the man and gave him shoes. He then drove around Kansas City, giving away the rest of the collection.

Leading by example. That is vital to Grimmett. A former undercover detective and SWAT Team member, Grimmett is at East Patrol as a sergeant, where he sees an opportunity to impact lives.

"Being a minority officer, I think a vast majority of the people we police today and encounter today in the inner city are comfortable with me, someone who looks like them,” Grimmett said. “It’s huge to be able to speak to the community and build trust.”

Grimmett joined KCPD right after graduating from Webster University with a degree in criminal justice. His interest in policing originated with his older brother, a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Grimmett saw the joy his brother had working in law enforcement.

While his brother sparked Grimmett’s interest, his internship at KCPD ignited it. Specifically, it was his time with the Tactical (SWAT) Team. Grimmett would later spend three years on KCPD’s TAC Team, receiving a Gold Award for Valor for his help in rescuing child hostages.

 “In tactical operations, you’re dealing with more dangerous things at a more frequent rate,” Grimmett explained. “You have to trust and rely on your people more. You build a special bond with the people you work with.”

Grimmett enjoyed his time as a SWAT Team member so much, he was nervous about his promotion to sergeant in 2021. The nervousness is gone, replaced by responsibility. The safety of the officers Grimmett supervises matters; it sticks with him. He’s intent on sharing all of his knowledge as he approaches his 11th anniversary at KCPD.

The former standout athlete – Grimmett was all-state in the discus and long jump and an all-conference quarterback at Raytown South – is thankful to work in a team environment. He relished it growing up, and he savors it now. It’s a comradery special to policing.

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Video of Sergeant Grimmett donating clothes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGs_sDUtqI