TD police honor 5 fallen officers

Officers regularly ask to attend funerals for fallen law enforcement officials in Oregon, said The Dalles Interim Police Chief Steve Baska, but “to my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve sent anybody this far away.”

He added, “It’s a pretty big deal, this many people going from such a small agency.”

The Dallas officers were killed last Thursday, July 7, by a sniper at a protest against police killings of black men earlier in the week.

The slain officers were: Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson and Patrick Zamarripa. Seven other officers and two civilians were also shot.

The sniper, a black Army veteran named Micah Johnson, reportedly told negotiators during a standoff that he wanted to kill as many white officers as possible, and was later killed by police.

Jones said, “The reason we're going to Dallas is because we want to pay our respects to the fallen officers, their families, and their department. They are hurting right now and their communities, like many others, are in a dark place. We want them to know that we are here for them and are grieving with them.

“We want to show them that there are ‘good guys’ out there, all over the country, that have their back, and will not be deterred from protecting the communities we serve,” he said. “This profession is more than just a job, it's a way of life for most of us. It's like a giant family.”

Jones added, “Those five Dallas officers were murdered protecting thousands of people that were protesting them.”

He added: “Protesters who were angry at them for incidents that happened hundreds of miles away, which they know very few facts about.

“Those officers knew they were going into danger that day, yet they got dressed for work, kissed their wives and kids goodbye, and walked out the door just like every other day. True heroes. Having served in the military, it's extremely important to me to pay my respects to these men; there is no greater sacrifice one can make than to give their lives protecting complete strangers,” Jones said.

“I feel like the least I can do to honor them and thank them for their sacrifice is to show their families and fellow officers love and support during their mourning.” Jones added, “I feel very fortunate to live and work in a city like The Dalles where the police and community have a friendly relationship with each other. “People wave to me all the time when I'm patrolling and it feels good to know that someone went out of their way to say ‘thank you’ for being out here and doing what we do.” The local officers have paid their own way to go to the funerals, including airfare and lodging, though the city will pay for some meals.

Rosier said of paying their own way, “I think it’s one of those things we felt was important, so we don’t mind that.”

Baska said fellow officers in the department are taking a collection amongst themselves to help with expenses.

At the Chronicle’s suggestion, the police department has agreed to accept donations from the public to help defray the officers’ travel and hotel expenses. Checks may be made out to “The Dalles Police Club” and dropped off at the police department, at 401 Court St. The department can also accept cash. The department got approval from the city manager to accept donations.

Rosier said of her reaction to the shootings in Dallas, “obviously, you get a gut wrenching feeling, you understand that could have been any of us. It’s so horrifying and heartbreaking all at the same time. You think about these people and it could’ve been you and your family and you think about that too – the families of those officers are all affected, and the community they’re in, too. So it’s a heartbreaking situation for everyone.”

Baska said of the officers, “I’m really proud of them, they really stood up.” He has gone to several funerals, and said, “It’s a tough thing.”

Rosier said she’s going because “It’s really just about showing support to fellow officers and their families, because all of us know that there’s potential for the ultimate sacrifice but you don’t ever expect it, and this is just a way for us to support them, the families of the officers.”

One wrinkle of travel for a police officer is bringing their service weapon on a plane, Baska said. It requires extra steps to secure both the weapon and its ammunition, which is stored separately, in a factory box, and both must be locked. He said the gun “is part of the uniform. I don’t want my officers walking around in uniform without some kind of protection.”