What Were Their Names?

If you took an informal poll of your friends and neighbors, or if you randomly stopped people for a “man on the street” interview and asked them if they had any idea who is Michael Brown or who is Eric Garner or who is Freddie Gray you would probably receive an immediate answer. Everyone seems to know who these criminals are, and everyone seems to know how they came to their death. This is, of course, because the media we depend on for fair an impartial reporting has made sure these people are well-known. But, there are also others who have unceremoniously given their lives in a violent fashion and yet, if the same polls were taken it is highly probable no one would know their names. Give it a try, ask your self and others who are Terence Avery Green, Robert Wilson III, Josie wells, Alex Yazzie, Michael Johnson, Trevor Casper, Brian Moore, or Greg Moore. You don’t know who they are? Read on.

• On March 4th, 2015 Detective Terence Green was shot and killed from ambush as he and other officers responded to reports of shots fired. He leaves behind a wife and four sons. Please remember his name.
• On March 5th, 2015 Police Officer Robert Wilson was shot and killed when he and his partner interrupted a robbery at a video game store. He leaves behind his wife and two sons. Please remember his name.
• On March 10th 2015 Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells was shot and killed as he and other members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a double-murder suspect. He leaves behind an expecting wife. Please remember his name.
• On March 19th, 2015 Police Officer Alex Yazzie was shot and killed while pursuing a subject who had shot at another officer. Officer Yazzie was fatally shot and two other officers were wounded during the shootout. Please remember his name.
• On March 24th, 2015 Police Officer Michael Johnson was shot and killed as he and other officers responded to a suicide threat . He served for 14 years. Please remember his name.
• On March 24th, 2015 Trooper Trevor Casper was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a bank robbery and murder suspect. Trooper Casper had graduated from the police academy only three months prior to the incident and was on his first shift after being cut loose from field training. He is survived by his parents and two sisters. Please remember his name.
• On May 4th, 2015 Police Officer Brian Moore succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier when he attempted to question a suspicious person. Officer Brian Moore had served for only 5 years. Please remember his name.
• On May 5th, 2015 Sergeant Greg Moore was shot and killed after stopping a suspicious male. Sergeant Moore leaves behind a wife and two children. Please remember his name.

These eight heroes all died as the result of hostile gunfire. They are only eight of 42 line of duty deaths in the United States so far this year. There deaths may have been noted in their local newspapers and media outlets. Their funerals may have been reported, but then they were laid to rest and quietly forgotten. There was no angry outcry from the Nation, no protests, riots or other senseless violence. Thee was no outrage that these heroes were gunned down in the prime of their lives. President Obama did not stand on the White House steps and tell the nation of his plan to thwart the killing of police officers. For the most part, their passing went unnoticed by most of the country.

The week of May 9th, 2015 is National Police Week. The week set aside where we may honor all those fallen heroes who died to protect us. This is a chance for us to stand up and say, “I remember you”. A chance to pay respect by attending the many events across the nation, and a chance for you to pay respect with a prayer and to place flowers at the grave sites of those who have given the Ultimate Sacrifice. Please remember them all.

If you would like to learn more about these fallen heroes and all the others, their stories can be found at the Officer Down memorial Page. For those local to the Greater Cincinnati area you can read about our many local heroes, some who were my friends, at the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Website. Read their stories and please, remember their names.

Police Memorial Week Events for the Greater Cincinnati area can be found on the Cincinnati Police Department’s web page.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours?

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