Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen
Trooper Mike Haynes, 28
Montana Highway Patrol
On March 27, 2009, Trooper Mike Haynes succumbed to injuries he received on March 23, 2009, when his patrol car was hit head on by a drunk driver.
Trooper Haynes is survived by his wife and two small children.
Sergeant Randy White, 32
Bridgeport Texas Police Department
Sergeant Randy White was killed on April 2, 2009, when his patrol car was struck in the rear by a criminal suspect who was attempting to elude other police officers.
Sergeant White leaves behind a wife and a five-year-old daughter.
Pittsburgh Police Department
Officers Eric Kelly, Paul Sciullo, and Stephen Mayhle were each killed by gunfire on April 4, 2009. The officers were responding to a domestic dispute when they were ambushed by the shooter.
Officer Kelly leaves behind his wife and daughter.
Officer Mayle leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
Detective Allen Pearson, 29
Lenoir County North Carolina sheriffs Deparment
Detective Allen Pearson was shot and killed on April 7, 2009, while attempting to apprehend a criminal suspect.
Detective Pearson is survived by his wife.
Deputy Sheriff Richard J. Stiles, Jr., 37
East Feliciana Louisiana Parrish Police Department
On April 7, 2009, Deputy Richard Stiles succumbed to injuries he received in a head on collision on April 3, 2009.
*Thanks to ODMP
* * *
The following was submitted by Lt. David Swords, one of the police experts here on The Graveyard Shift.
As most are painfully aware, Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawlowski fell in the line of duty on February 13, 2009. He was killed by gunfire after responding to a disturbance cal.
The night John was murdered; he was designated as “359” for the purposes of radio dispatching. It was as Unit 359 that he and his partner were dispatched to the disturbance call that ultimately ended in John’s death.
The “35” represents the 35th Police District of Philadelphia.
The Last Call is a Law Enforcement tradition, and is conducted during the funeral ceremony. You will hear the dispatcher attempt to contact the fallen officer via the police radio. Hearing no response, they will report to the police supervisor that they are unable to reach him. Police command will ask that the time be marked, and that the badge number of the fallen officer be removed from service for the last time.
The attached audio file is from the funeral of Police Officer John Pawlowski. The dispatcher marks the time of Friday February 13, 2009 at 8:44pm, which is the moment John gave his life in service to the people of Philadelphia and to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
http://blog.hanrahanconsulting.us/files/105405-98178/Pawlowski.mp3
Lee – I’ve always read these Friday tributes & felt sadden by them, but this past week’s was especially painful because it happened close to home. Over the past week, our community (Pittsburgh) has seen the faces of our three fallen heroes on television everyday & heard about the lives they lived and the families they left behind.
The sweetly sad notes written by the young daughters saying good-bye to the father that would not see them grow up. The final words to be passed on to the family that another would not see again.
These are memories that will stay with me forever. For better or worse, I will not be able to read these tributes again without tears in my eyes. God bless all these heroes & may he give their families the strength to make it through the tough times ahead.
Carla, at least it wasn’t “Wish You Were Here” by Mark Harris (http://www.sweetslyrics.com/272222.Mark%20Harris%20-%20Wish%20You%20Were%20Here.html).
That one gets me every time.
Thank you so much for sharing that. As if it didn’t make me cry when I heard the dispatcher signing off, the .mp3 went to my iTunes, which then started playing “Grace” by Michael W. Smith. Write off another box of Kleenex.
Dave, thanks for sending that to Lee.
That gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful way to honor the fallen officers.
Lee,
I am glad you were able to get that loaded onto the Graveyard Shift. Especially in light of some of the blog’s subject matter this week.
I’ve heard it three times now, and I still get a chill.