Residents remember fallen officers during memorial

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   ANDERSON — Roughly 100 people gathered in the Anderson County Council chambers Thursday evening to honor the law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
The event, organized by the Anderson County Fraternal Order of Police, was one of hundreds of ceremonies happening across the country Thursday in conjunction with Police Memorial Day.
Five state troopers stood in front of the council bench representing “the thin blue line.” Residents sniffled as musicians played “Amazing Grace” and “Taps” and bowed their heads in prayer for the fallen officers and their families.
“We can walk our streets and be safe in our homes because of what they do,” Anderson County Sheriff David Crenshaw told the crowd. “… They put it on the line for us, and they did it willingly.”
With the exception of 2001, when 72 police officer were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, 2007 proved to be the deadliest year for American law enforcement since 1989. One hundred and eighty one officers were killed nationwide last year, including six in South Carolina.
The state already has lost two officers this year — Lance Cpl. James D. Haynes, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper from Orangeburg County and Deputy William Howell Jr. of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Charles McNair, chief of the Cayce Department of Public Safety, encouraged those in attendance at the Anderson event to move past the anger that comes with losing a loved one. McNair spent seven years learning that lesson after his close friend and fellow highway patrol officer Mark Coates was shot during a traffic stop in 1992.McNair’s words hit home for Anderson resident Kelly Hill and her mother, Marti Sheppard Compton. They lost a father and husband when Patrolman Charles Sheppard’s patrol car was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 1975.
Hill was 5 years old at the time, but she said her grandmother harbored anger about the accident for years. The family still attends the memorial each year, like so many others, to remember and reflect.
“It’s like a family thing,” Hill said. “Everybody consoles everybody.”
http://www.independentmail.com/news/2008/may/15/residents-remember-fallen-officers-during-memorial/

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Cop_Bot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Automated NewsBot Joined: January 28 2005 Location: Charleston Online Status: Offline Posts: 43868 Topics: 43311	Quote Reply Topic: Residents remember fallen officers during memorial Posted: May 18 2008 at 8:02pm
	ANDERSON — Roughly 100 people gathered in the Anderson County Council chambers Thursday evening to honor the law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. The event, organized by the Anderson County Fraternal Order of Police, was one of hundreds of ceremonies happening across the country Thursday in conjunction with Police Memorial Day. Five state troopers stood in front of the council bench representing “the thin blue line.” Residents sniffled as musicians played “Amazing Grace” and “Taps” and bowed their heads in prayer for the fallen officers and their families. “We can walk our streets and be safe in our homes because of what they do,” Anderson County Sheriff David Crenshaw told the crowd. “… They put it on the line for us, and they did it willingly.” With the exception of 2001, when 72 police officer were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, 2007 proved to be the deadliest year for American law enforcement since 1989. One hundred and eighty one officers were killed nationwide last year, including six in South Carolina. The state already has lost two officers this year — Lance Cpl. James D. Haynes, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper from Orangeburg County and Deputy William Howell Jr. of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office. Charles McNair, chief of the Cayce Department of Public Safety, encouraged those in attendance at the Anderson event to move past the anger that comes with losing a loved one. McNair spent seven years learning that lesson after his close friend and fellow highway patrol officer Mark Coates was shot during a traffic stop in 1992.McNair’s words hit home for Anderson resident Kelly Hill and her mother, Marti Sheppard Compton. They lost a father and husband when Patrolman Charles Sheppard’s patrol car was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 1975. Hill was 5 years old at the time, but she said her grandmother harbored anger about the accident for years. The family still attends the memorial each year, like so many others, to remember and reflect. “It’s like a family thing,” Hill said. “Everybody consoles everybody.” http://www.independentmail.com/news/2008/may/15/residents-remember-fallen-officers-during-memorial/
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