Man bids $60,000 for fallen deputy's car, gives it to officer's son

 By 
Brian Koerber
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The son of a fallen deputy in Greeley, Colorado was given his father's car after a generous man bought the car at an auction.

Deputy Sam Brownlee lost his life in November 2010 during a shootout while on duty. Brownlee's patrol vehicle was a 2010 Dodge Charger, which is currently valued at approximately $12,500, KUSA reports.

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After five years, Brownlee's vehicle finally went to a public auction, the proceeds of which will go towards the Concerns of Police Survivors, an organization that benefits the families of fallen officers, including the Brownlee family.

The auction, which occurred on Wednesday, greatly surpassed the value of the car. And although Brownlee's son Tanner, who was 15 at the time of his father's death, did attempt to purchase the car, a man named Steve Wells won the high bid with $60,000.

After accepting the keys, Wells turned to Tanner who was in the crowd and said, "Tanner, here's your car," and handed the keys over.

"This is just so huge, having something I can use and drive around that he drove around. It just means a lot," Tanner told KUSA.

Wells, a rancher who "owns thousands of acres of oil-rich land in Wells county," had never met Tanner before the auction.

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