Caron Butler grew up in Racine, Wisconsin where he spent the first part of his teenage years as a paperboy. But Caron was not the typical paperboy, in addition to delivering papers to the locals, he also delivered what he called his “work”; cocaine. He began doing this at the age of 12 and it consumed a couple years of his adolescence. All until one defining moment at the age of 14.
Butler grew comfortable with his routine of making deliveries at a block in his neighborhood that he described as being like a “drive-thru” at a fast food chain, only at this drive thru the customers were drug fiends. He was reported to have been arrested upwards of 15 times before the age of 15. Caron stated that the moment that broke him down to his core was when he was sentenced to one year in jail at the age of 14. He was placed in solitary confinement which left him with plenty of time to think about what he was doing with his life and what direction he was going in.
Following his time of incarceration, Butler started making decisions that would benefit him and his family rather than harm them. He got a job at the local Burger King, changed his demeanor and his whole way of thinking. After a year and a half of being removed from anything negative on January 22, 1998, a search warrant was drafted for Caron Butler’s home with the intention of finding drugs. A scared Butler covered himself up in his room after hearing the police officers breaking down his door downstairs.
After searching the whole premises, the officers found 15.3 grams of cocaine in Butler’s garage, which would be revealed to not belong to Caron at a later time. The officers claimed that with that amount of cocaine being found at his home, Butler would go away for a minimum of 10 years if charged. After talking with his immediate supervisor Officer Rick claimed that he thought that charging Butler would be a “huge mistake.” Following their discussion, Officer Rick went in and un-cuffed Caron and told him that he was not going to be charged and that he hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.
Ten years later in 2008 Caron and Officer Rick were reunited for the first time at a charity event where Rick explained that he was the officer that made it possible for him to not be locked away. Butler expressed his gratitude and thanks, and reassured to the officer that the decision he made that day changed the whole landscape of his life and made it possible for him to be where he is today. Officer Rick expressed that he still cannot even fathom the effect of one small decision he made.
To this day Caron and Officer Rick have stayed in contact, Rick always being a supportive influence through the good times and the bad. Caron Butler is very proud to be the owner of six Burger King franchises, personifying his quality of never forgetting where he came from.