Summary: The citizens of Wayne County honored their fallen heroes during ceremonies at the Wayne County Law Enforcement Memorial at the Justice Center in downtown Wooster on April 23.
In a solemn ceremony at the Wayne County Law Enforcement Memorial at the Justice Center in downtown Wooster on April 23, a grateful community honored the memory of peace officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Today we gather here to honor those officers of our community who made the ultimate sacrifice, said Wayne County Fraternal Order of Police President Adam Chellis, whose organization planned the event.
These five officers will never be forgotten and will forever be memorialized on this wall, said Chellis.
As members of the Wayne County Sheriffs Reserve placed five flags honoring each of the peace officers killed in the line of duty from Wayne County Lieutenant Matthew Fisher of the Wooster Police Department shared the stories of each of the countys fallen heroes.
There was Patrolman Ralph W. Henderson of the Wooster Police Department who died in 1912 after being shot by a suspect during a struggle at the corner of Liberty and Grant Streets and Deputy Clifford H. Mohler of the Wayne County Sheriffs Office who died in 1968 of a heart attack that resulted from an injury he suffered while attempting to subdue a mental patient being transported to a hospital.
Also memorialized on the wall are Sergeant Paul H. Knisley and Patrolman Robert C. Goodrich of the Wooster Police Department who died in the line of duty in 1969 when they were swept away by the floodwaters of the Apple Creek and drowned while attempting to rescue flood victims stranded on the roof of their home and Sergeant Harold K. Hanning of the State Highway Patrol aviation section who died in a plane crash in 1970 while flying over Wayne County attempting to round up cattle set loose after a traffic accident.
Before a riderless horse lead by Reserve Deputy Michelle Lemley made its way through the grounds of the Justice Center and the College of Wooster Pipes and Drums played Amazing Grace, Wayne County Sheriff Tom Maurer paused to reflect on the memory of peace officers throughout the nation who have given their lives to protect the communities they serve and the challenges faced by law enforcement officers today.
With officers being bombarded with a barrage of sophisticated equipment to use in their daily work and facing stressors they have never faced before, its more important than ever that officers be mentally prepared for what they may be facing each time they put on their uniform and come to work according to Maurer.
When duty calls, we respond, said Maurer.
Were expected to be on that next plateau for our communities, to seek out injustices and voluntarily place ourselves in harms way, said Maurer adding to die on duty is our ultimate sacrifice to our communities, our families.
In a wider sense we are not just honoring those officers who have died in the line of duty but all the officers who serve the citizens of this city, county, state and nation, said Wooster Police Chief Steve Glick.
As the assembled crowd remembered the five fallen Wayne County officers Glick asked them to also remember the officers you see around you today.
Every day in this county, whether they wear blue, black, green or gray shirt, these officers are risking it all in order to protect the citizens of this county, said Glick.
We must do our utmost to make sure they are equipped properly, well trained and have adequate staffing to perform their duties safely so they can return home to their families. May no more names be placed on this wall, said Glick.
