Inside Firestone

Firestone Police Department Assists in Weld County Fallen Officer Memorial Dedication

In hopes that another name will never have to be added, Firestone Police Chief David Montgomery saluted the memorial for Richard E. Hart during the Weld County Fallen Officer Memorial dedication on June 25, 2012, at Bittersweet Park in Greeley. Hart, a Firestone police officer killed in the line of duty in 1982, was one of seven officers names etched into the memorial who lost their lives in the line of duty while serving the citizens of Weld County.

Present for the dedication, the Hart family received a police escort to the ceremony before finally seeing the unveiling of the memorial by Montgomery and Police Commander Bryce Borders. 

“The Weld County Fallen Officer Memorial was a long time coming, but is now something we can enjoy for years to come as we remember these fallen officers,” Montgomery said. “The time and effort put forth from Weld County Sheriff John Cooke to see this memorial come to light means more to the families left behind. It truly is a tribute to their service.”

The dedication paid tribute to the seven officers whose names lie on the memorial, but also to the 173 officers who gave their lives in the line of duty last year across the nation.

Other officers honored on the memorial include Lee S. Whitman, Greeley Police Department, 1935; Earl J. Bucher, Weld County Sheriff’s Office, 1940; Wallace M. McCarty, Colorado State Patrol, 1946; Richard Ware, Evans Police Department, 1953; James M. Longworth, Greeley Police Department, 1976; and Samuel K. Brownlee, Weld County Sheriff’s Office, 2010.

The memorial began from the efforts of Brownlee’s widow, Audra, who wanted a bench that would honor her late husband. From there, the project quickly evolved into a memorial that would honor all officers within Weld County who gave their lives for service.

The memorial is star shaped, like the Weld Sheriff’s badge, and includes a series of stones engraved with the names of the officers. Robb Casseday, Greeley City Council member and sole architect on the project, donated his time and architecture firm’s resources to design the project. The center of the memorial includes a sundial sculpture designed by Debbie Dalton of Greeley Monument Works. The memorial was donated to the City of Greeley to become a part of its permanent public art collection.

For more information about the memorial, visit www.weldfallenofficersmemorial.org.

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