CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW)- Last Thursday’s shooting in Dallas would become the worst attack on law enforcement since September 11th.

Five officers were killed in the attack and it’s impacted law enforcement across the country. This Sunday, Sergeant Jeff Benton with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office says the shootings were on his mind and prompted him to post the below message to his Facebook page:

Dear God. With all of the things that are going on in our country right now, I pray in your Holy name to protect me and keep me safe as I continue to do the job that I have done for more than 19 years….protecting and loving everyone!!! Please be by my side when making difficult decisions and wrap your arms of protection around me in dangerous situations. My family, my friends, my community, and those that I vow to serve and protect need me. Amen. ‪#‎lovemyjob‬. ‪#‎loveyouall‬ ‪#‎deputysheriff‬

Benton says the post has since gone viral and been shared tens of thousands of times on social media including on law enforcement pages.

“I was feeling in that moment how important it is for my community and my family and my office to be here, to be around, to continue to work. I’ve been fortunate enough to do for 19 years and that’s the just of the post. It was written in two seconds, it was very quick,” Benton said.

Benton said he was not only thinking of himself but the men and women who proudly wear the badge each day.

“I don’t know of one person that would get up in the morning and put this on and say to themselves, I hope I hurt someone or negatively impact someone today.”

Sergeant Benton says he wasn’t expecting such a response as he normally limits his posts to things about his family or other humorous posts.

“For me it was a little out of the ordinary for me because I had never done that before. But I didn’t second guess it after I did it. I re-read it a hundred times. It was from the heart.”

Benton says in light of what’s happened across the country and world in the last week, it’s time for everyone to be unified.

“This nation needs to be together. We need to love each other and we have to stand together. We’re the strongest nation in the world and we’re fighting and that kind of thing should stop.”