blake-shelton-honors-police-officer-shot-line-of-duty-tickets-officer-proposes-fiancee-during-concert

Blake Shelton Honors Police Officer Shot in Line of Duty with Tickets, Officer Then Proposes to Fiancée During Concert

Blake Shelton has been honoring community heroes throughout his Friends and Heroes Tour. During his latest stop, he paid tribute to a local officer who was shot in the line of duty. And at the concert, that hero pulled a very special surprise from his pocket—a diamond ring for his girlfriend.

In June of 2020, Aurash Zarkeshan pulled over a car during a routine traffic shot. He and his partner, Craig Johnson, asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. But the driver refused. The situation escalated, causing the officers to use pepper spray and a stun gun. Despite their efforts, the driver pulled a gun and shot both officers in their heads. Officer Craig Johnson, a 15-year veteran, died shortly after. And Zarkeshan spent five months rehabilitating in the hospital.

After learning of the incident, Blake Shelton wanted to give the now engaged Officer Zarkeshan the VIP treatment at his September 24th concert. So Shelton gave the officer a pair of front-row tickets to his Tulsa, OK, show. And a local bank donated $5k to a charity of Zarkeshan’s choice.

“I can’t think of a better person to be recognized than Tulsa’s own, Officer Zarkeshan,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “Through the many hardships he faced on his road to recovery, he never gave up and worked tirelessly to return to serve the citizens of Tulsa as a police officer. Following that fateful night, I’ve never seen a community provide so much support and care to our Tulsa police officers. I want to thank Blake Shelton for recognizing the strength and honor of Officer Zarkeshan and the many officers that serve Tulsa every day.”

The Honored Officer Dropped to One Knee During Blake Shelton’s Concert

But while Shelton was singing Nobody But You, Zarkeshan turned the spotlight onto his girlfriend. In an incredibly romantic twist, the officer got down on one knee and asked his longtime girlfriend to be his wife. While Shelton sang his touching lyrics, the couple kneeled together and shared a secret moment before Zarkeshan slipped a ring onto his fiancee’s finger.

The Tulsa Police Department quickly jumped on Facebook to congratulate their brother in blue.

“SHE SAID YES! 💍💍💍In the words of Blake Shelton, ‘I don’t want to love nobody but you.’ A big congratulations to Officer Aurash Zarkeshan on his engagement. On the front row of the concert tonight, Officer Zarkeshan proposed to his longtime girlfriend at the BOK Center,” wrote the department. “We told you last week, Shelton is honoring local heroes on each stop of his tour. For Tulsa, he chose Officer Zarkeshan, who also received front-row tickets, and the Bank of Oklahoma donated $5,000 to a charity of his choice. Officer Zarkeshan chose the TPD Foundation.”