#11: In Memory of Officer Andrew Dunn

Officer Andrew Dunn

Sandusky Police Department

Last Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the murder of Officer Andrew Dunn, of the Sandusky (Ohio) Police Department. Officer Dunn had attempted to stop and question a suspicious person when the individual pulled a gun and shot him. Although mortally wounded, Officer Dunn was able to return fire and strike the suspect twice as he fled from the scene. 

In reading more about Officer Dunn it was no surprise to learn he was like so many special officers that have lost their lives in the line of duty. Sadly, he left two small sons, who were just 3 years old and 5 months old when he died. Since we have started this Act of Kindness campaign the most upsetting aspect of learning about the officers/soldiers we honor is the number of young children left behind that will grow up without a mom or dad. 

Officer Dunn's story touched me in a very personal way. His father was also an officer with the Sandusky Police Department. Apparently, it was Andrew's lifelong dream to become a police officer just like his dad. In becoming a police officer I too fulfilled a lifelong dream to follow in my father's footsteps. My father passed away three years ago. The bond that we shared through police work is something I will always cherish. Therefore, it was especially emotional to read the following reflection left for Officer Dunn by his father on the Officer Down Memorial Page (odmp.org) on the anniversary of his death:

ANOTHER GOOD DAY, AS GOOD AS MARCH 19 CAN BE ANYMORE....NO OFFICERS LOST SINCE MARCH 7TH. WELL IT'S BEEN 2 LONG YEAS SINCE WE LOST YOU, BUT THE TIME HAS GONE BY SO FAST I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN THAT LONG. MYSELF, FELLOW OFFICERS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY WERE AT THE SCENE AT 0301 THIS MORNING...MOURNING YOU ONCE AGAIN. DOESN'T GET ANY EASIER FOR ANY OF US. WE ALL MISS YOU EVERYDAY AND THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. I LOVE YOU BOY, LOVE DAD.


BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SON'S OF GOD MATTHEW 5:9

FELLOW OFFICER AND FATHER OF
ANDREW S. DUNN E.O.W. 3-19-11

RET. OFC. MATTHEW S. DUNN
SANDUSKY P.D. (OHIO)
March 19, 2013

Among the things I learned about Officer Dunn was that he was a very conscientious officer who was always interested in becoming a better officer. This was quite evident when I read that he paid for training out of his own pocket. Last week our company held a training course that overlapped the anniversary of Officer Dunn's death. There were two officers who paid for the course out of their own pocket. In honor of Officer Dunn, I have offered each of these officers the opportunity to attend a future class at no cost. 

Please take a moment to visit the facebook page created in memory of Officer Dunn.

#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!

#7: Honoring a Pearl Harbor Survivor

Robert Van Druff

Last week I had the privilege of spending some time with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Van Druff at their home in Brookeville, MD. Recently, while speaking to someone about our 52 Acts of Kindness campaign, it was brought to my attention that Mr. Van Druff who is a member of my community is one of the last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors. What an honor it was to meet with the Van Druff's and listen to them recount their experiences during WWII. After surviving the attack at Pearl Harbor, Mr. Van Druff was part of the U.S. military operation that fought the Japanese across the Pacific, "One island at a time." Mr. Van Druff would ultimately serve 22 years in the Navy, also seeing extensive combat in the Korean War. This article contains Mr. Van Druff's first hand account of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

There is a beautiful painting hanging in the living room of the Van Druff's home of Pearl Harbor the morning of December 7, 1941, just before the attack. It was painted by a friend of Mr. Van Druff and clearly is very meaningful to them. It was a highlight of my experience to have Mr. Van Druff share the story behind the painting with me and narrate the scene to me, including identifying the ship that he was on during the attack. As a person with a strong interest in American history, what an experience this was to have an opportunity to speak with someone who lived through one of the most significant days in our history. In Tom Brokaw's book, The Greatest Generation, he poignantly describes how the WWII generation literally saved the world and freedom as we know it, yet they are a very humble and unassuming group. The Van Druff's are no different. They are obviously very proud of their accomplishments but also very humble. I cannot strongly encourage people enough to seek out members of this generation and spend some time with them before it is too late. We can all stand to learn from their example of service and commitment as well as their sense of community. In this technology age we live in we have lost a lot of those core values the Greatest Generation lived by and we should seize the opportunity to re-instill them in ourselves and our children while we have the chance.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Van Druff are 93 years old and have been married for over 70 years. It seemed appropriate to honor them last week (Valentines Day) to also celebrate their long lasting relationship. I brought Mrs. Van Druff a bouquet of flowers and Mr. Van Druff a challenge coin from my agency as a small token of appreciation for his service. I also prepared them a home cooked meal for dinner as it is difficult for them to cook. My small act of kindness was overshadowed by the appreciation I had for being able to spend time with such gracious and interesting people. I hope to take Mrs. Van Druff up on her offer to stop by any time to visit and continue to get to know them better.

If you would like to send the Van Druff's a card expressing appreciation and support I know it would mean a lot to them. You may send it to:

Mark Janney
Special Investigations Division
100 Edison Park Dr.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878



Mr. Van Druff placing a wreath at a monument honoring Marylanders killed during the Pearl Harbor attack.



Pearl Harbor during the attack

#6 Act of Kindness and Remembrance: Sgt. Bruce Prothero

Sgt. Bruce Prothero

Baltimore County Police Department

This weeks entry is written by Lee Wiley, Signal 13 Training Instructor

Sometimes our lives are changed by a seemingly insignificant moment. For me, this moment was brief and came when I was a senior in college.  I had no clear goals in life or any role models.  My friend and former roommate, Bruce Prothero, had just completed the Baltimore County Police Academy and shared his experiences as a Cadet and young police officer.  It wasn't necessarily the words, as it was the excitement in between the words that was enticing.  For a senior with no clear path, a light came on.  After 25 years in law enforcement, this light has never burned out.  

      But for my friend, and now role model, his light burned out on February 7, 2000.  The circumstances surrounding his death are typical in our line of work.  While moonlighting at a jewelry store to make extra money to support his wife and 5 children, gunmen entered the store.  As the robbers left, Bruce pursued them and was gunned down in the parking lot.

      This is not a story about Bruce’s death though, but rather about his life and how it affected me.  Engraved on the national law enforcement memorial in Washington D.C. are the words, “it was not how these officers died that made them heroes; it is how they lived.

      Bruce lived life to the fullest and included everyone.  He convinced me to transfer to Towson State my junior year and live with him while he finished his college career.  We got jobs together working on the event staff at the Towson Center.   While working late one night at the Towson Center building a stage for the one hit wonders “The Hooters,” Bruce and I stumbled upon coolers containing steaks for the band.  A large slab of meat was acquired and brought back to our room.  A pair of sunglasses and a fake beard was placed upon the meat and pictures were taken.  This was our first venture into undercover work.  Bruce cut and seasoned the meat and the occupants of the 6^th floor of Tower C at Towson State ate like kings.

       As spring break neared, Bruce began to talk about taking a trip to Daytona Beach.  My first thoughts were how would we get there and where would we stay?  We worked out that we would stay at his uncle’s place, and take my car which Bruce had nicknamed Adam 12.  Adam 12 was a 1980 Ford Fairmount Futura with plaid interior which I thought would never survive the trip.  But Bruce insisted Adam 12 was tough, just like the police officers in the show and it would make it.  And as Bruce, Ann, Amy and I pulled into Daytona it did make it.  

       During this short week, I observed first hand Bruce’s love for Ann, his then girlfriend who eventually became his wife.  What I will always remember is his devotion to her and their 5 children.  But on that spring day with graduation nearing and no clear purpose in sight, it was his excitement that I will remember as he spoke about his police experiences.  Words that spoke of duty, honor and making a difference, however small it may be.  His words shaped me.

        Where do we get husbands, fathers and police officers like Bruce?  Where do people with such compassion, bravery, and unselfishness come from?  Only God knows. But I thank you God.  I thank you for bringing Bruce into my life, and giving me direction and purpose for these last 25 years.   

       Each year on the anniversary of Bruce's death his mother would visit his grave and a memorial in his honor that is located outside the jewelry store where he was killed. She would leave pennies at each location because as a child Bruce collected pennies. For this weeks Act of Kindness/Remembrance, we are collecting pennies that will be donated to the Baltimore County Police Memorial Fund. Among other things, this fund is used to provide scholarships to children of Baltimore County Police Officers who die in the line of duty. Since Bruce's five children are at or near college age now, this seemed like an appropriate thing to do.

     If you would like to make a contribution to the Baltimore County Police Memorial Fund you will find information on how to do so here. If you would like to send Sgt. Prothero's family a letter or card with support and encouragement you can send them to:

Bruce Prothero Family

c/o Detective Lee Wiley 

Special Investigations Division

100 Edison Park Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

#5 Act of Kindness/Remembrance: Capt. David Shultz

Captain David Shultz

   On January 31, 2008, Captain David Shultz, of the Army 82nd Airborne Division, was killed by an enemy mortar while on a tour of duty in Iraq. Captain Shultz was only 25 years old. He was married and his wife, Sabrina, gave birth to their son, Logan, on Fathers day while Captain Shultz was serving his country oversees. He was able to visit his son during December for just a few days before being deployed back to Iraq. Within weeks of this deployment Captain Shultz was killed. His son was just 7 months old at the time. He will grow up never knowing his father.

   Captain Shultz was known for having a generous spirit. While in Iraq he took pleasure in collecting soccer balls and school supplies and delivering them to the children. He organized several shipments of these donations from people in his hometown of Blue Island, Illinois. He said in an email at the time, "Seeing the smiles on the Iraqi children's faces when you bring them the school supplies they need is one of the greatest things I have experienced over here."

   Captain Shultz' father, David, Sr., was a police officer for the Blue Island (Illinois) Police Department. In conducting research for this entry I learned that it is easy to see "the apple did not fall far from the tree." Captain Shultz' father was a dedicated public servant for 30 years. Read this article about a horrifying experience Sgt. Shultz endured; a glimpse of the difficult things police officers endure each day. Sgt. David Shultz was no exception. Here is an example of a heroic act by Sgt. Shultz, in which he pulled a handicapped man from a burning car. Sadly, I have learned that Sgt. Shultz died of cancer at the age of 53 just over a year after his son was killed in Iraq. 

   How blessed we are to have heroes and role models like David Shultz, Sr. and David Shultz, Jr. Their dedication and unselfish service to their community and country should be emulated by all of us, and their sacrifices should never be forgotten.

   This week I honored Captain Shultz on the five year anniversary of his death. I participated in the Armed Services Blood Program by donating platelets. A very small contribution to make in support of our troops by providing a critical and much needed resource that may save their lives. My donation was made at the ASBP location in the Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. It was the first time I had ever donated platelets and I was a bit apprehensive, not knowing what to expect. But my fears were quickly alleviated by the staff who could not have been more friendly and appreciative. If you have donated blood but never platelets the only significant difference is that platelet donation takes longer (about two hours). I am proud to report that I was told my donation was enough to supply two patients! I strongly encourage everyone to participate in this vital program and support the troops! You can learn more about the program and schedule an appointment at their website here. 

  In addition to donating platelets in honor of Captain Shultz, and in keeping with his spirit of giving to children, we purchased a few basketballs and some school supplies and donated them to the Tree House (Child Assessment Center of Montgomery County, MD). The Tree House provides critical and comprehensive services to abused children. You can learn more about the Tree House here.

  Finally, I would ask all of you to take a minute to read this article for more details about Captain Shultz and his sacrifice. I hope this blog continues to inspire people to commit some act of kindness, however small, in honor of a police officer or service member. There are so many compelling stories like the Shultz family. So many have made the ultimate sacrifice and must be remembered. It is important for the world to know that five years after Captain Shultz was killed his legacy is still very much alive as he inspired a perfect stranger to donate platelets to help save the lives of fellow service members and to follow his lead of providing sporting equipment and school supplies to children in need.