The unexpected twist after son of fallen deputy is outbid for his late father’s cruiser

Tanner Brownlee had a plan: Raise some cash so he could buy his dad’s old patrol car at a charity auction on Wednesday in Greeley, Colo.

The 19-year-old’s father, Weld County Sheriff’s Deputy Sam Brownlee, died in the line of duty in 2010. And that old Dodge Charger the deputy drove was more than just a car to Tanner and his brother, Chase, 16. Tanner has a few of his father’s mementos, including a motorcycle jacket, given to him the day his father died. “Just everything I can get means a lot to me,” he told WKBW.

So the brothers launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising $3,340 so Tanner could try to buy the Charger.

But the bids went far beyond Tanner’s means, as WKBW reported. Local rancher Steve Wells made the winning bid of $60,000, much higher than the Kelly Blue Book value of $12,500.

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