Geoff Curtis

Short Bio

Born and raised in Montana, Geoff Curtis was working in the Missoula Police Department as an undercover drug detective. During a drug-bust gone wrong, he was shot through the upper leg, permanently damaging his sciatic nerve. With a wife and two very young children at home, Geoff faced multiple surgeries and procedures, re-learned how to walk, and to manage his daily nerve pain and PTSD. These battles continue to this day.

The man who shot Geoff was involved in a large drug and organized crime ring and faced his prison sentence by initially laying blame on Geoff and threatening legal action. Through counseling and help groups within the prison, Geoff’s shooter began to take accountability for his actions, show true remorse, and make strides towards bettering his life and others. Eventually, Geoff and his shooter were given the opportunity to meet though a “Victim Offender Dialogue” at the prison and learn each other’s stories. They are now in regular communication and working toward healing and redemption.

From pain, anger, and placing blame to accountability, forgiveness, and hope- Geoff’s story is a powerful example of mental fortitude that provides a roadmap for others in how routinely shaping your thoughts and actions can help build the future you desire. Geoff is currently building an app for coaches, mentors, and counselors to help their clients practice accountability in their daily lives.

Geoff resides between Montand and Phoenix with his wife and two children and is available for speaking opportunities anywhere in the world- either in person or online.

Want to know more? Brief Speech Snynopsis:

In 2013 I was working as an undercover police officer in Missoula Montana when I was involved in an undercover drug operation gone wrong. I was the target of an organized crime drug rip and was involved in a shooting. I suffered an incomplete upper left leg sciatic nerve injury. I have limited feeling from the left knee down but can certainly feel pain every step in the bottom of my left foot. I have a Nero-stimulator in my spine for pain, had to re-learn to walk a few times, and have had two nerve decompression surgeries along with countless procedures to control pain. I battle PTSD and pain every single day. 

In 2014 I was medically retired from the Missoula Police Department. I had a wife and 2 and 4-year- old at home. My “career” was over, and I needed to build a new one, while still recovering from the injury both physically and mentally. I built up a real estate business then a real estate company, and then a mortgage company to support my family. I still run these companies today.

During the first few years after my shooting, the person who shot me, Joshua Robinson, tried to sue me and took zero accountability for his actions. He flooded his jail cell and fought with guards. I would regularly get updates on his behavior and found myself extremely angry that he would deny what he did and was even more mad that he would try and sue me for what happened that day.

One day I was told that Joshua had dropped his suit against me and accepted all responsibility for his actions. Over the next few months and really years, as I monitored Josh, as best I could, I learned more and more about him. Josh, from what I could tell, was born on drugs, raised on drugs
and forced to provide for his siblings from a young age. Josh was hungry most days as a child. Not hungry or “hangry” like I get where I know I can go to a store or my pantry and eat, but he actually missed multiple meals and was starving. I could not and still cannot, relate to being truly hungry as a kid. I wondered what I would do if I was a child who was truly hungry and what crimes I might have committed.

I learned that Josh was going to therapy and participating in groups while in jail. He was teaching Spanish and his goal was to get off the high side of the prison. This isn’t an easy task. I was then asked if I would be interested in doing an in-person meeting with my wife and Josh in the prison system called a “Victim Offender Dialogue”. We met with Josh and got a better understanding of him and his life. My wife started to buy his kids Christmas presents and still does every year. He and I email semi-regularly. Josh has worked hard to do everything he can to better himself and the inmates around him. I have committed to Josh that if he stays on the path he is on, I will not only not object to his release from prison when eligible for parole, but I will in fact speak in favor of it.

Our story is one of injuries, setbacks, loss, anger and motivation, resilience, understanding, forgiveness, and support.

Eventually, we hope to have a way for Josh to participate in these talks as well- either through a live video conversation or by answering questions on video that we can then play back. Approval on
these options is still pending, but we will offer this as soon as it becomes available.

My hope in bringing this story to others is to help foster forgiveness: both for yourself and others. To motivate people to hold themselves accountable for doing things right. To go forward more often than backward but also to be honest when you take those backwards steps and commit to getting back up.