Charles Finkenbinder & Steve Antal recognize Officer Chris Vasquez for service to community
Channel: City of Conway, Arkansas
Date: 2021-09-02

City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder recognized UCA Police Department Officer Chris Vasquez for going above and beyond serving and protecting the citizens of Conway, especially helping those in need.

Whatever your previous experience with law enforcement and the criminal justice system may be, we want you to know your experience in Conway can different.

STEVE’S STORY

For 15 years, I was addicted to opiates.

I was a highly functioning addict the whole time.

I had three kids, a house, a career, and a business. None of that mattered at the time.

I was driving a car with no brakes.

After a surgery, I lost my career and my business. There was no function to hold on to. It was a downward spiral from there.

That car I was driving with no brakes hit a brick wall. Something happened which lead Officer Chris Vasquez to my house to place me under arrest.

I was in no shape at the time to care for my children so they were taken by the state. They went to live with my brother and his wife. After that, I had no will to live and dove deeper into my addiction, doing anything I could get my hands on.

I went to trial with the case and showed up to court drunk and high on Xanax. They sentenced me the max for my charges:  365 days in the Faulkner County Jail.

City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder and Officer Chris Vasquez met after I was sentenced and agreed I could be saved and could be brought back with the proper help.

Finkenbinder contacted Blake Polston, director of M18 Recovery, and said he has a guy that doesn’t need jail, he needs help. Polston met with me in jail and accepted me into the program. I was 1 of the first 4 residents. I gave my life to Christ while in the program and worked the program, dug deep into the roots of my problems, and defeated the depression and anxiety causing my addiction.

Through Christ and community I was healed. I graduated in 4 months, clean and sober, gained 40 pounds and was healthy. Went to work with the ministry for 11 months counseling men in addiction.

Today, after 2 years of being clean, my record is expunged. I’m close to having my son back and marrying an amazing woman.

I’ve never been happier.

My story is a testament of faith and obedience. There were some key players that lead me down the path that saved my life, that gave my children his father back, my parents their son back and my siblings their brother back. Finkenbinder and Vasquez were the top players in that. I’m forever grateful for their heart to save lives and serve their community.


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City of Conway, Arkansas

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