Respect, honor and remember: Law Enforcement Officers hold candlelight service for fallen officers

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — “I pray that You keep a shield of protection over our local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Equip them with courage and instill in their heart, that if they fall in the service of another, that they will not be forgotten.”

Those were the words of Warner Robins Assistant Police Chief Chris Rooks as he led an opening prayer at a candlelight vigil on May 20.

That evening, at Southside Baptist Church, law enforcement officers, their families and the public gathered together to honor the men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year.

According to Warner Robins Police Chief John Wagner, the event saw its largest turnout in years.

District Attorney William Kendall took the stage and spoke at the event. He opened his speech by laying out the numbers of how many have fallen last year: 619 in total, 142 military veterans and 51 Georgia residents, making Georgia third in the nation for law enforcement fatalities.

“In 2022, already, [there were] 107 line of duty deaths; although a decrease from last year’s numbers, one death is too many,” Kendall said.

He read a poem by Paul Harvey called “Policeman,” remarking that policemen wear many hats and work tirelessly to keep the public safe.

“A policeman is a composite of what all men are: mingling of a saint and sinner, dust and deity. What that really means is that they are exceptional, they are unusual, they are not commonplace. Buried under the froth is the fact, and the fact is: less than one-half of one percent of policemen misfit the uniform,” the poem said.

Kendall went into detail about his upbringing, his prior background in the Marines and his prior experience in law enforcement.

Kendall was no stranger to grief. In his time in the Marines, he lost Barry — his military working dog — to chemical exposure.

Kendall also knew Richard Crooms, an investigator at the district attorney’s office. Crooms lost his life in a car accident in March of this year. In his speech, Kendall remembered arriving at the scene with Captain Jon Holland from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

“[Holland] prayed with me in silence and comforted me,” Kendall said. “He told me to be a strong leader and to have faith. He stuck by my side the whole day because that’s what cops do.”

The law enforcement community stood by Kendall, providing police escorts for an ambulance, then from the hospital to McCullough Funeral Home.

“Within ten minutes, there were 20 or 30 police cars staged at the hospital, ready to give our brother a proper escort,” Kendall said.

At the funeral home, officers from Centerville Police Department, Houston County Sheriff’s Office and Warner Robins Police Department surrounded each side of the funeral car and saluted Crooms.

To Kendall, his experience that day was a testament to the dedication of the law enforcement community to supporting the fallen.

“To see law enforcement throughout our county stop everything that they were doing for a moment in time and take care of one of their own — it truly had me in tears,” Kendall said.

He then offered up his condolences to the families of the fallen:

“To the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen officers: Know that you are loved,” Kendall said. “Your officer will be remembered and cherished, and that their legacy will continue on through the men and women who continue the mission with their time on this earth.”

Kendall said that while it was emotionally difficult, he was honored to speak at the event.

“I have a love for law enforcement,” Kendall said. “I come from a law enforcement background, and now being a D.A. I have the ability to impact the community and help law enforcement out to do their job. To be a part of the memorial ceremony was a big honor for me. It means a lot.”

Kendall was first invited to speak in February, one month before Crooms’ accident. He said that when he typically speaks, he tends to be more lighthearted — but this time he spoke more from the heart.

“I went from being there to honor the folks I knew who work out in the community, who I didn’t have a close personal relationship with, to where one of my own passed away and died in the line of duty. It certainly changed the dynamic for me,” Kendall said.

Seeing his fellow officers mourning was also difficult for him.

“You don’t want to see people sad, you don’t want to see them mourn the loss of their brothers and sisters like that, but I think it just goes to show that police officers are different,” Kendall said. “They’re strong people. They’ve always answered the calls. They have big hearts, and they do a lot of good for the people.”

Chief Wagner also spoke at the event, leading an emotional candlelit ceremony where Honor Guard members and families lit one candle each for 16 fallen officers around the Middle Georgia area.

At the end of the ceremony, each of the fallen officers was called over dispatch one final time, and the silence on the other side of the call was harrowing.

“The finality of that is heart-wrenching,” Wagner said.

Reflecting on the event with The Journal, Wagner admitted he had a hard time emotionally while reading the names of the fallen officers and thinking of their families.

“I think about my family, too: ‘What if?’” Wagner said.

Wagner knew three fallen officers personally: Investigator Crooms, Houston County Sheriff’s Office Captain Michael Jere Stokes, and Lieutenant Brandi Meagan Cross-Stock with the Brooklet Police Department.

Knowing Captain Stokes and his family hit home for Wagner.

“Stokes was a mentor for me,” Wagner said. “Even though he was with the [Sheriff’s Office] and I was with the city, our paths crossed numerously.”

Lieutenant Cross-Stock had previously worked with Warner Robins Police Department, and Wagner was trying to convince her to come back to the department.

Wagner was saddened by each of their passings.

“That’s three too many,” he said.

Wagner also reflected on the role law enforcement plays in society, saying that they will always answer the call, regardless of who makes it.

“People love us, people hate us. People buy us lunches, people curse us,” Wagner said. “But at the end of the day, the person that loves us and the person that hates us still calls 911.”

Wagner wanted those who currently serve to know that while the job can be dangerous, getting home safely is the top priority.

“At the end of the day, and at every roll call, you must set your sight on the fact that you’re going to go home safely,” Wagner said. “You’ve got to know your training, your intuition and your sixth sense. Never let your guard down, because you’ve got a family to go home to at the end of the day.”

Wagner wanted the families of the fallen to know that their sacrifice was not in vain.

“We’re still going to remember [their] loved ones,” Wagner said.

Kendall agreed that while their ultimate sacrifice is tragic, the legacy of the fallen will live on.

“They will never be forgotten,” Kendall said. “We will always remember them, and we will continue to remember them through the work that we do and honor them.”

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