Day 68-, 73, 77, 80, 86 and 87-Letters to LEO Familes

<sup>As a wife of a police officer it makes me sad and scares me at the same time that so many officers have been killed in the line of duty this year. An overwhelming amount of officers this year have been shot. If you have read my early posts you will know I made a commitment to write letters to every family of a law enforcement officer who was killed in the line of duty. On days 68, 73, 77, 80, 86 and 87 I wrote letters to the following families:  California Highway Patrol Officer Adams, ICE Special Agent Zapata, Uniontown PD Captain Stiles, San Carols Apache Tribal Officer Peru, Stow City Police Officer Bastock, ST. Rosenthal, Deputy Marshall Hotsinpiler, Detective John Falcone, Officer Crawford, Officer Pounds, Officer McDonough, Park Ranger Nickel, Officer Thornton, Park Ranger Julie Weir, Deputy Sheriff Wright, Officer Sheridan, Officer Newman and Deputy Cammon.

I have been delighted that since I have been sending these letters I have received several letters back from either the officer’s agency or the family.  Their letters have touched my heart and have put them in my “Making a Difference” file folder. I started this file folder several years because I wanted a file to look through that would make me smile when I was having a bad day. It is a file to remind me that many days when I am feeling sorry for myself that others have it way worse than I do. It is a file filled with the kindest thank you notes from people I have help and it reminds me that one person can make a difference.

Being married to a police officer and being a former officer myself I understand the dangers and sacrifices men and women of law enforcement make on a daily basis.  I have seen and heard of heroic acts these brave officers have performed that most turn and run the other way than risk their life for another human being.  One of the letters I wrote was to Detective John Falcone’s family. This detective died to save a 3-year child. Here is his story:</sup>

“Detective John Falcone was shot and killed after responding to a shot fired call on Main Street. He was just over a block away when he received the call and when he arrived at the scene he encountered a man holding a 3-year-old child and waving a gun. The suspect fled, still holding the child, with Officer Falcone in pursuit.
Detective Falcone was able to rescue the child from the man and handed the child to a bystander before engaging in a struggle with the suspect as other officers arrived at the scene. During the struggle Officer Falcone was fatally shot in the head before the man committed suicide. The subject's wife was found in a nearby car with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Detective Falcone had served with the Poughkeepsie Police Department for 18 years. He is survived by his parents. Detective Falcone was posthumously promoted to Detective by the Poughkeepsie Chief of Police.”

^{Please remember your law enforcement officers in your prayers and thank an officer the next time you see one.  To learn more about the officers on today’s blog go to http://www.odmp.org/.}