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.
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