Motorists around North Georgia late last week and over the weekend may have seen a police-escorted motorcade with a large truck and trailer at the core and wondered why.
The annual Beyond the Call of Duty End of Watch Ride is making its way across the country with a rolling memorial bearing the face of fallen officers and stopping at law enforcement agencies that lost officers in the line of duty in 2021.
In Northeast Georgia, the largest of those stops was at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Jefferson Saturday morning, where hundreds turned out to remember Deputy Sheriff Lena Nicole Marshall, who died in November, three days after being shot while responding to a domestic dispute in Hoschton.
Jagrut “JC” Shah, chairman of the Beyond the Call of Duty End of Watch Ride, lost his partner in the line of duty in 2012.
Shah, who lives in Spokane Valley, Wash., retired in 2017 and followed the nudging he had felt the previous five years not to let fallen officers be forgotten.
“2019 was the first year we honored,” Shah said. “It's humbling, it's emotional, doesn't get any easier every year. Sometimes it gets harder. And for us, we're just blessed that we can come out and honor all these beautiful men and women and their survivors and their children, and also the departments and let them know that we're not going to forget these men and women.”
Chelsea Marshall, daughter of fallen Jackson County Deputy Sheriff Lena Marshall, says Saturday’s event at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was bittersweet for her and her siblings, Kiley and Colten.
“It can be a little heavy,” Marshall said. “It sometimes feels like ripping off a Band-Aid but we kind of knew that the first year was going to be a lot of this and a lot of milestones, tough milestones, but it is good to just constantly see this Sheriff's Department and this county constantly show up for us – like no hesitation. And it's one of those things right after I think anyone passes away you see other people kind of go back to normal and you're not quite ready to do that and you have this fear that like she's going to get forgotten, and she won't. I mean, this – all of this – kind of proves that.”
Sheriff Janis Mangum said she will work to ensure that Deputy Marshall’s legacy lives on and is not forgotten.
“As sheriff and on behalf of the sheriff's office and all the law enforcement, the cities, the fire departments, everybody that helped us today to never forget Deputy Lena Nicole Marshall, we’ll never forget the sacrifice she made for the citizens of Jackson County,” Mangum said. “And there's many others on this trailer that did the same in their areas. So, we never forget that. As the sheriff, it just touches my heart that y'all do what you do, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Mangum praised Shah and all the volunteers, letting him explain that 2021 was a very tough year with the loss of more than 600 law enforcement officers.
“We're on the road every single year,” Shah said. “We leave June 1, and we travel the nation. This year, we're on the road for 79 days. We're all volunteers and all of us are misfits. We have a reason why we do what we do. We're going to 268 departments this year honoring 608 beautiful men and women. We’ll travel about over 23,000 miles that we ride every single mile for these men and women, and we experience the elements, and we talk to them like they're there with us, because they are. If you place your hand on this beautiful Memorial, you'll feel the soul of every single one of them. And they do talk. Some days are good, some days are bad.”
On Friday, the ride made a stop at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office to honor School Resource Officer Chris Bachelor and Lanier Technical College Police Officer Steven Hemphill.
At the Hall County stop, Heather Bachelor reflected on the tribute to her husband.
“It’s been very humbling and very honoring to have all of this for my husband for the sacrifice that he made,” she said. “And he would have 100% hated all of it because he did not like attention at all. So, every time we have something for him I kind of giggle a little bit because I know he would be very mad about it, but I’m just thankful that everybody is still keeping him in their thoughts and memories.”
Patrolman Jeff Wimpy of Lanier Technical College Police Department reflected on his time working with Hemphill.
“When I was working active duty with Steve Hemphill, for a year 200 officers was a lot, we thought,” Wimpy said. “Now, it’s 608. That tells you something. So, it really gets in my gut to how dangerous it is now. Steve was a good friend, a good officer, and he’s going to be sorely missed.”
Sgt. Stephen Carey of Lanier Tech P.D. also fondly recalled Hemphill.
“Steve was a genuine guy,” Carey said. “He was a great guy, and I’m honored to be a part of this. This is wonderful. It’s sad, but it’s a great honor to see him honored like this.”
On Saturday, the ride also traveled to Alto Police Department to remember Cpl. Timothy Michael Tanksley, where Police Chief Josh Ivey shared his thoughts on the community turning out to remember Tanksley.
“It really means a lot for everybody turning out,” Ivey said. “This is really a good thing, but at the same time it’s really hard. It’s hard to see all the heroes that we’re lost this year and we know it’s not getting any better for us. It’s tough.”
Ivey said the past few years have been especially tough for law enforcement officers in the area and across America.
“When I began my career, I never thought we be where we are today,” Ivey said. “Realize that we’re human, too. We’re here to help. We’re here for everybody. We’re not the enemies to anybody. Stop by here, talk to us. Ride along with us. Come and see what we actually do.”
Shah says the response to the group while in the area was overwhelming.
“Oh, it's been absolutely amazing,” Shah said. “Whether it's a gas station or a grocery store, people know these officers. We could be three counties away from where we're going, and somebody will say I actually knew Timothy. Oh, you know, this is what I know about him or her and it's been very, very blessed and awesome.”
http://accesswdun.com/article/2022/7/1118656/traveling-memorial-pays-tribute-to-americas-608-fallen-officers-from-2021