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The ceremony honored those officers who lost their lives during 2007 and remembering those from Montgomery County who have also paid the ultimate sacrifice:  Officer Terry Griffith (Christiansburg Police Dept.), Officer Scott Hylton (Christiansburg Police Dept.), Security Guard Derrick McFarland (Montgomery Regional Hospital), and Corporal Eric Sutphin (Montgomery County Sheriff’s Dept.).

Also honored were Deputy Sheriff Jason Saunders of the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sheriff Jason Mooney of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and Detective Jarrod Shivers of the Chesapeake Police Department.

The ceremony started out with remarks by Sheriff Tommy Whitt, followed by the Presentation of the Colors by the Christiansburg Police Department, the National Anthem, and the Invocation by Rev. Don Makin of the Christiansburg Presbyterian Church.

Montgomery County Board of Supervisor’s Vice-Chairman and former Montgomery County Sheriff Doug Marrs presented a Resolution.

Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Brad Finch was the guest speaker and below is the text of his speech.

Thank you.

I am honored to speak on such an important day.  

Today we honor and pay tribute to our Law Enforcement officers
 -one of the most honorable and important professions in our society
 -Law Enforcement Officers are:
-protectors of our fellow citizens
-protectors of our American way of life
-protectors of our community
-heroes to our children

When you ask a young child what he wants to be when he grows up,
many a child will say that he wants to be a police officer. 

Children realize, at a very early age, the honor and the integrity
of police officers.  

Children understand, on a very basic and natural level, the strong character of police officers.

Children detect, almost instinctively, the respect that police officers have for their fellow citizens.  

Children are right to love and to respect and to honor police officers,
because that love and respect and honor is mutual.

Children’s love for police officers is equaled only by police officers’ overwhelming desire to protect children. 

When you speak with police officers, you quickly learn that nothing is more important to police officers than the safety and protection of children. 

My own son just turned 5 years old, and he wants to be a police officer and a firefighter when he grows up.

My son once asked a Montgomery County Deputy if the police have to fight bad guys.  The Deputy looked my son right in the eye, and said,
“I don’t want to fight bad guys.  I always try to talk with them first and I try to get them to stop being bad.” 

In that simple statement, that Deputy taught my son a lesson that he will remember for the rest of his life. That Deputy taught my son a lesson in integrity, respect for the law, and respect for other people. 

That is a good example of the strong character of law enforcement officers that we have in Mont. Co.

That is a good example of the countless small acts of heroism that our
police officers show every day in Mont. Co.

It takes a special person to be a law enforcement officer. 

Our law enforcement officers embody the attributes of
bravery and selflessness.

Our law enforcement officers are willing to: 

-sacrifice their personal safety for the safety of others. 
-put themselves in harms way so that we all may be protected 
-make the ultimate sacrifice for the protection of strangers. 

I have a special request for all of you today:

In your everyday lives, when you hear the sound of a siren,
Say a silent prayer.
Say a silent prayer of protection for the men and women who protect us all.

Today, and everyday, we remember and we honor
the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us all.

In 2007 and 2008, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, we lost 3 officers in the line of duty.  Those fallen officers were:
 -Dep. Jason Saunders (Campbell County Sheriff’s Office)
 -Dep. Jason Mooney (Stafford County Sheriff’s Office)
 -Det. Jarrod Shivers (Chesapeake Police Department)

In Montgomery County, today, and everyday, we remember, and we honor: 

 -Officer Terry Griffith (CPD)
 -Officer Scott Hylton (CPD)
 -Security Guard Derrick McFarland (MRH)
 -Corporal Eric Sutphin (MCSO)

These men are truly heroes in every sense of the word.
We are thankful for those heroes, and we are thankful for their families.
 
To all of our law enforcement officers and to all of their families
we want you to know that: 
-We deeply appreciate you (more than you will ever know)
-We deeply appreciate the sacrifices that you make
-We deeply appreciate the awesome responsibility that you face
-We thank you for serving and for protecting our community

Your commitment to law enforcement blesses all of our lives every day. 

-may God Bless all of our officers, and may God Bless all of their families.
-may God watch over them and keep them safe.    

In addition to the Wreath Presentation, Dr. Robert T. Copenhaver played Amazing Grace, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office presented a 21-Gun Salute, followed by Taps from SFC (Retired) Garland Linkous, Benediction by Pastor Mike Vest of the Faith Missionary Baptist Church.

Closing remarks were made by Lt. J. Bond of the Albemarle County Police Department, who was a close friend of Cpl. Sutphin.

Click here to see more photos from today’s event in our photo gallery.

Photos by Larry Middleton

Comments (2)

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Police Officer's Memorial service
written by citizen, May 18, 2008

I experienced a very reverent, elegant event.
Thanks to everyone involved; I have great respect for our democracy and it's servants.

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written by Christianburg Resident, May 17, 2008

Thank you and your reporter for the outstanding coverage of this special event. The story, photos and video were great.

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Votes: +2

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