#10: Going the Distance for Sgt. Philip O'Reilly

Sgt. Philip O'Reilly

This past Saturday, March 16th, I ran in the Rock n Roll half marathon in Washington, D.C. There were over 30,000 participants in the race. I wanted to use the opportunity to honor a special officer during this event. It seemed fitting to honor Sgt. Philip O'Reilly, of the Chicago Police Department, as the race occurred on the tenth anniversary of his line of duty death. Sgt. O'Reilly was killed on March 16, 2003, when he was struck by a tow truck.

In honor of Sgt. O'Reilly I wore a sign on my back during the race with his photo and a recognition of the anniversary of his death. My hope was that as many of the tens of thousands in attendance as possible would see the sign and take a moment to appreciate and aknowledge his sacrifice.

I am sending the sign I wore and my race medal to Sgt. O'Reilly's family as something tangible they can have to be reminded that they were not alone on this sad day and that his memory lives on.

Sgt. O'Reilly had six children. Here is a link to a speech given by one of Sgt. O'Reilly's children at a memorial ceremony. 

#9: Honoring Two Female Officers Lost on the Same Day

One year ago today (March 6th) Law Enforcement lost two officers in two parts of the country and under very different circumstances. The one common factor was that both officers were women. For the entire year of 2012 there were 115 male officers killed in the line of duty, but just 13 women. Barbara Pill and Britney Meux, two of the 13, killed on the same day. When one looks into the lives of Barbara Pill and Britney Meux they discover that these women's lives were very different. But when we examine their differences it is hard not to conclude there is greater meaning to the irony of them dying in the line of duty on the same day. Together they represented so many aspects of our communities and were role models for two generations.

Corrections Officer Britney Meux

Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill

March 6, 2012

At about 11:15 a.m. on March 6, 2012, Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill, of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Florida, made a traffic stop of a vehicle involved in the theft of property from a local hotel. Deputy Pill attempted to order the driver from the car but he opened fire on her striking her multiple times and killing her. At 7:00 p.m. on the same date, Corrections Officer Britney Meux, of the Lake County Sheriff's Department in Indiana,  was struck by a hit and run driver while jogging with three other officers. All four were struck by the vehicle but Meux was killed instantly. The other three officers survived.

Deputy Pill was a 53 year old caucasion woman with 30 years of law enforcement experience. Officer Meux was a 25 year old African American woman with 3 years of service. She also had previously served in the United States Marine Corps. Deputy Pill was survived by her husband and two sons, both of whom are also police officers. Officer Meux left an infant daughter behind. One woman struck down near the end of a lifetime of public service in law enforcement; the other struck down at the beginning of a promising career.

Act of Kindness/Remembrance:

This blog is dedicated to remembering and/or honoring Police Officers and Service Members who have experienced great personal sacrifice and often given their lives in the performance of their duty. It is our mission to conduct an "act of kindness" in memory or in honor of these people in order that they continue to be remembered and that their actions and legacies continue to inspire people to do good deeds.

Deputy Pill was strongly involved with Camp Chance, which "provides a fun and educational environment for at risk children including those who have been abused, abandoned or neglected or have parents who are in jail or prison." The camp relies on law enforcement personnel to mentor the children and fosters a trusting relationship between the officers and children. Learn more about Camp Chance here.

Officer Meux, who was voted 'Best Personality" in high school, was known for her "infectious smile." I found this testament to the kind of person she was on an online obituary reflection page: "I remember her as in 2009 I was an inmate and she gave me a bag of sandwiches because I told her I was starving." One of the greatest compliments we can have in law enforcement is the respect of those we encounter on the other side of the law.

Among Officer Meux's hobbies was photography, which she loved. In honor of Deputy Pill and Officer Meux, we are donating a digital camera to Camp Chance in the hopes that its use will help their memories live on and inspire other good deeds.

#8: Honoring Ernest May: First Officer Killed in the Line of Duty- Las Vegas PD

  

Officer Ernest May

     This week I traveled to Las Vegas to attend a conference on Gangs and Undercover Narcotics Investigations (and yes, I did attend some of the class while I was there). I wanted to take the opportunity to honor an officer from that part of the country since I do not get there very often. While doing my research to find a deserving officer I came upon the story of Officer Ernest May; the first member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to pay the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

     Ernest May possessed the essential qualities that every law enforcement officer should have; a strong work ethic, compassion, courage, and the will to never give up. His father died when he was a young boy so Ernest went to work for the Pacific Railroad Company to help his mother provide for the family. After getting married in 1917 Ernest joined the police department while continuing to work for the railroad company after working his way up the ladder and becoming an engineer. 

     In 1929 Officer May was shot in the arm while apprehending four burglary suspects. He recovered from this incident and went back to work for the police department. As this time was during the Great Depression,   Officer May and his family struggled financially, like most others. However, Officer May was known for giving his last five dollars to hobo's before running them out of town in the performance of his duty.

     On June 8, 1933, Officer May was shot and killed while responding to a shooting call at a local hotel. Witness testimony and a recreation of the crime scene determined that Officer May was ambushed by the suspect as he got out of his police car at the hotel. However, before succumbing to his mortal wound Officer May returned fire at the suspect striking him four times and killing him. Although Officer May died in this incident, his "never give up" attitude is one that every officer should have instilled in them in the police academy. Officer May was 38 years old and was survived by his wife and seven young children.

     There is an elementary school in Las Vegas named in honor of Officer May. Much of the historical information about Officer May in this entry was obtained from the Ernest J. May Elementary School website. 

It made me wonder if the young children who attend this school everyday are aware of the heroic figure their school is named after, or after all these years since Officer May died is it just a name of a building to them. This week was Nevada Reading Week for the Nevada school system. This is a yearly program that promotes reading for children through various creative programs and activities. We purchased a box full of new children's books with police and firefighter related themes and donated them to Ernest J. May Elementary and requested that the children be reminded of Officer May's story. Hopefully, the books will inspire a few kids to become police officers someday!