Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Paul,
Some of the best times I had as a teenager were when I was a Bay PD Explorer riding patrol with you on the Saturdays that you worked. I was always covered in Zaro's dog hair at the end of the shift. You and my dad were partners and you were one of the only ones he trusted enough to let his "baby boy" ride with. You’d let me talk for you on the radio. To key up that radio and say “21-Bay” was one of the coolest things in the world. I remember the last time I rode with you; we were sitting at the end of Washington Street running stationary radar and occasionally keying up the radio to shock a bird when it would land on your antenna. I was getting ready to leave for college to play football, but I was having second thoughts and afraid of being homesick. You laughed and said, "This place will be here when you get back. You'll kick yourself for the rest of your life if you let this opportunity pass." You had recently been accepted to the Highway Patrol and you too were having second thoughts. I said, "you'll kick yourself for the rest of your life if you pass this up." You didn't like me turning the tables, but admitted that I was right, and said, "Well if I go, you're going to have to write me letters to keep me encouraged." I went to college and you went to patrol school. I didn't have your address there, so I called up the academy one day and the instructor gave me the information and said that he would be sure to let you know I called. I didn't know what that meant until the next time I saw you and found out how much trouble you got into for the phone call! I've gone very far in my career, and every time I was faced with a tough decision, I remember what you told me that very day. You were a great role model. I visited the memorial in Washington, D.C. and rubbed your name off of the wall and had it laminated five years ago. It hangs in every police car that I have had assigned to me, and it will until the day I retire. It’s kind of like you’re riding with me now.

Special Agent Ben Taylor
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, RAC/Gulfport, MS

April 20, 2006

Dear Mrs. Spradley,

I was looking through the officers from our state and realized that I graduated the academy with Paul. I can not believe I did not know of his death. We just lost one of our young traffic officers,Micheal Byrd,in a wreck in our city. I do remember Paul as very sincere person and secure in his choice of a career. If I recall, he was going through with Hancock County SO at the time. He joked around with his group alot and they had to get a dip when they could during our down time. I believe he also won awards in firearms while in training. I pray God has given you comfort. We love what we do. Tell his daughter someone wrote and remembered her father again!!!!!!!!

Capt. George Tillman
Pascagoula Police Dept.

March 30, 2006

Paul,
You and I only met once. You were shocked that your wife and I had the same name and spelling. I will never forget the feeling I got from you. You were in the academy and on a ride along with one of the troopers. We went to eat together. You had your academy uniform on with your tie tucked into your shirt (which I did not understand at the time). You beemed with pride!
I had just graduated the police academy and was"the rookie" at Bay PD. I recall so many people telling me stories of you when you worked there.
I remember the day you were killed. It was your daughters birthday and the next day was mine.
You gave all that day Paul. It was a tragic, senseless accident that never should have happened.

You are always thought of and honored. I have a dear friend up there with you. He was murdered in the line of duty in 1998 leaving behind many friends and family members who love and adore him. Including a young son.

Thank you for your service and dedication. Rest in peace brother.

Detective Dena LeGros
Carson City Sheriff

February 27, 2006

paul this is your chaplain of class 53 it is still hard to this day for us to believe you're gone.our faith in GOD and his kingdom that awaits for all of us,is what makes it easier. each of us in class 53 was trmendously blessed to have known you,and we are better people because of it.we pray for your wife and kids daily,and we look forward to being reunited with you in heaven when our time comes.may god bless your wife and children and annoint them with his spirit and use them according to his will and glory!!!!!!!!!!

tfc fredrick white,jr
ms. hwy. patrol

May 11, 2005

Paul was a friend to all who met him. He was a dedicated professional and family man. He was the person who, no matter what the situation was, you could always count on to be there for you and always make you smile. I am proud to have known and worked with Paul on Dive Rescue, and the S.O.D. teams.

May God bless you always Paul.

JB

April 13, 2005

PUAL IT SEEM LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY WE WERE RUNNING AROUND IN PATROL SCHOOL TOGETHER,I STILL REMEMBER WAKING UP EVERY MORNING ACROSS FROM YOU WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE A JOKE SO WE ALL CAN GET IN A BETTER MOOD BEFORE THE TAC OFFICERS CAME IN AND STARTED ON US,I THINK ABOUT YOU OFTEN, I WAS OVER JOYED WHEN YOU TRANSFERED BACK TO TROOP K I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU.YOU MAY BE GONE BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN,YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART AND MY LIFE ,PLEASE WATCH OVER US AS WE GO ON WITH OUR DAILY DUTIES AS TROOPERS.REST IN PEACE MY BROTHER

TFC JOSEPH MCFALL
MS.HWY.SAFETY PATROL

March 17, 2005

Paul, to this day you are in my heart. We shared many times together. I remember the time a man wanted to fight me at Main St Jr food mart because he swore that I was you. He didn't believe the wheelchair was real and that I was undercover trying to bust him. We looked alot alike, sounded alot alike, and even alot alike. I could never deny my respect and honor for you. You ARE more then a friend to me. You are more like a brother. There isn't a single day that goes by that I do not think about you. I miss and love you brother. One day we will meet again. And when we do, I will be happy once again. I love you brother.

Stuart Favre
Former Bay St. Louis Police Dept

March 4, 2005

Remembering you along with all the others on 12-27 who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Rest in Peace. You're not forgotten.

Anonymous

December 27, 2004

On the anniversary of your death, I salute you for your service and honor your for your sacrifice.

Rest in peace.

December 27, 2004

I sit here and wonder... Did someone really run your vehicle off of the road that day or night. I guess the world may never know, but you do. Most importantly GOD does. The blessing of convicting someone for the murder of you may not ever be ours. But I do believe that God will punish anyone who hurt you intentionally or not. I pray for those you left behind and I pray that whom ever hurt you logs on to the sight one day and sees the damage that they have done to the lives that still think of you daily.

Brandy

Brandy. Concerned citizen

December 6, 2004

It is hard to imagine, but 6 years ago, October 4th, 1998, we began patrol school. We started off on the first floor and by the end, we were all able to fit in the top floor. 84 started, but only 33 would become Mississippi State Troopers. I am proud to be able to say that you were my classmate and friend. I think of you and your family often. We miss you. But, I know I will see you again in Heaven one day.

TFC Jason W. Ginn
Mississippi Highway Patrol

October 5, 2004

I thank you for your service and salute you for your sacrifice.

A grateful citizen.

September 23, 2004

Paul,

We worked a T-CAP detail on I-10 this week. Joe Seals and I had some laughs about patrol school and of course, your name came up. We still think about you and miss you. I went by to cemetary to pay my respects and say a pray for your family. It is hard to believe you are not here with us, but in Heaven with God. We love you and always know that your family will always be a part of the MHP family.

TFC Jason W. Ginn, C-34
Mississippi Highway Patrol

TFC Jason W. Ginn, C-34
Mississippi Highway Patrol

April 17, 2004

I stop by this website often after the death of two dear friends with the NCSHP (Troopers Calvin Taylor E.O.W. October 3, 2001 and Anthony Cogdill E.O.W. May 30, 2003).

We all grieve over the lives lost in the line of duty. I hope you can find some comfort knowing that there are countless prayers that go out for your family.

These are senseless tragedies that never seem to stop. God Bless the men and women who continue to serve their communities in our great Nation.

...Gone, but never Forgotten....

Marti (EMT-Paramedic)
Haywood Co EMS (NC)

April 4, 2004

Well Paul its been four years now. I drove down to the coast to see my dad for Christmas and then went down to Long Beach to the academy on the 27th. I remember our days there back in 1994. On the way back I meet one of the classmates in Hattiesburg. Paul is still remembered by all of us still serving in the thin blue line.

To Paul's family, know that I pray for you guys often and I keep a picture of Paul in my office to remember the sacrifices that are made every day. From high school to our law enforcement career, Paul was a great guy...Keep watch over us from above brother.

Lt. Larry Kirk
Illinois

December 29, 2003

Rest in peace troop. While your tour is over, we continue on. Watch over us.
On behalf of the men and women of the Virginia State Police, we send our condolences.

Senior Trooper
Virginia State Police

December 27, 2003

How sad to read of another officer losing his life. My sympathy to the family left behind. When I read about another officer it's like reading about family. Stay strong as an officer I know that's what he would want you to do.

Investigator Donna Franks
Monroe County Sheriff's Dept. Aberdeen, Miss.

September 5, 2003

PAUL,

       Brother I just wanted you to know tim and I miss you alot. Most of all we miss the compitision. Your a real 5%er paul and you always will be. Save me a spot with your dept.
Up their. Also say hello to capt. Robbie bishop for me. I thought of you when I read this:

When god made peace officers

when god made peace officers, he was into his 6th day of overtime when an angle appeared and said, 'your doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.'and the lord said, "have you read the spec on this order?

A peace officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn't touch, and not wrinkle his uniform. He has to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next
day. He has to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half-eaten meals. And he has to
have six pairs of hands."

The angle shook her head slowly and said, "six pairs of hands...no way! Its not the hands that are causing me the problems, said the lord, it's the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have. Thats on the standard modle? Asked the angle.

The lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, may I see whats in their sir? (When he already knows and wishes he'd taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of his head for his partners' safety. And another pair of eyes here in the front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, you'll be all right ma'am, when he knows it isn't so.

Lord, said the angel, touching his sleeve, rest and work on this tomorro. I can't said the lord, I already have a modle that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on a civil service paycheck.

The angle circled the modle of the peace officer very slowly , can it think? She asked. You bet, said the lord. It can tell you the elements of a hundred crimes;recite miranda warnings in its sleep;detain,investigate,search a vehicle finding all compartments wich could hold contraband, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five learned judges to debate the legality of the stop ....and still it keeps its sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. He can deal with crime scenes painted in hell, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victom's family, and then read the daily paper on how law enforcement isn't sencitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angle bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the peace officer. There's a leak, she pronounced. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this
model. That's not a leak, said the lord, its a tear. Whats the tear for? Asked the angle. Its for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the american flag, for justice.

You're a genius, said the angle.

The lord looked somber. I didn't put it there, he said.

Author unknown

be good my brotherin and preserve the fight. I will here on earth as I know you are in heaven. I'll never forget you...You are one of the best.

PATROLMAN, ABE LONG
BAY ST. LOUIS POLICE DEPT.

"The Goodbye Request"

Yes, God, I see the light.  I knew my time would come, but does it have to be tonight?

  Don't get me wrong God I'll come to heaven, but it's hard to go knowing you have two kids that will always miss their daddy.

   I repeat my question:  Do I have to die tonight?  My death, her party, it just doesn't seem right.

   Please send angels to comfort my wife.  For she will go through much pain and strife.

   Be gentle with her emotions.  Toward you she shows much faith and devotion.

   Tell her and my kids to try not to cry beacause with Jesus is where my destiny does lie.

   Please help my family to have the strength to move on and still feel my love.  Tell them I'll be shinning down on them from up above.

   Tell my wife her life too will only last a while, so I want to keep wearing her usual smile.

   Tell my daughter and son I will miss them very much, but as long as they keep me in their hearts we will always be in touch.

   Tell my whole family that life goes by very fast, so I want them to live it to the fullest because unfortunately it doesn't last.

   However, in the end we will all be together again.

Britneye Farrell
Friend

Trooper Paul Denham was my only child.  Throughout his life, the one thing that distinguished him the most from others was his ability to touch the lives of any and all persons he came in contact.  He has received much acclaim for his actions concerning his police work and with others since his death.  It continues to amaze me as individuals reach out to contact our family and express their appreciation of Paul and sympathy toward us.

 
Paul truly believed in and worshiped the Lord.  His testimony was evident in his actions and in his commitment to the youth in his church.  He not only knew how to live but also how to live each day to its fullest.  If you were around him, he effortlessly brought you into his "fun" and his joy of living.

 
His 6 year old daughter will tell you that the thing she most remembers about her daddy was that he loved her and that he watches over her from heaven.

 
He had accomplished many of his life goals before his accident.  He was a good steward and left his family financially secure with a new home being built.  I can only add that this young man, my son, has left me with a great legacy and a unsurpassed sense of pride in his integrity and accomplishments.

Forever Paul's Mom,
Dr. Teresa Spradley

Paul,
I prayed for so long that God would let me talk with you just once more to say Goodbye, remind you that you are loved, and to know how your journey was-it hasn't happened so I trust HE has done that for me...You will forever be missed and I will never forget...I try every day to raise the gifts you left me with in a way that would be pleasing, I hope you are proud for they are so precious. God has been abundantly gracious to provide for our every need and want so be at peace in knowing we are well- always missing you but well...

There is so much I want to say but have no words to express that, you were a precious gift that God gave to me to teach me such incredible lessons...I thank God upon every remembrance of you(Phillipians 1:3) and take comfort in knowing where you are and that one day we will meet again...until we meet again in Glory know that you are loved and missed and will always be honored,respected, and remembered by us...
Love,
Dena

Dena Denham Dastugue, widow

Trooper Paul Denham,

I just wanted to take this time to thank you for your service to the people of the State of Mississippi. The sacrifices you and your family have made will not be forgotten.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matt. 5:9

Eric Allen

Paul,

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since we lost you. I think of you often and the time we spent together in Patrol School. I will never forget your smile and laugh while we cleaned the bathrooms, your incredible marksmanship with a pistol, and willingness to help get things done so we didn't do too many push ups. We all miss you and pray for your family. God has reasons for everything and while we might not understand them, we must trust and keep our faith in Him. I will see you in heaven one day and we'll share a laugh.

Trooper Jason W. Ginn
Mississippi Highway Patrol

Dear Paul,

As I read others information on this site I am drawn to several individual who post information to their loved ones.

Today, I miss you more than ever. Chet is six yesterday and had a wonderful party today. I hope that you saw his smile. By now you already know that Daddy is with you. Ya'll continue to watch over us and be with us.

I will forever love you.

Your mom.

Teresa Spradley

As a former high school and college friend, as well as a fellow graduate of the same academy class - I can say that Paul was a great guy. He was dedicated to the job and always was there for whoever needed him. Growing up in Laurel, I never thought we would be in the same academy class - but I am glad to say that I was. Years now have passed since Paul was taken from us and I pray often for his family and all those that had to go on without him. We miss you Paul.

Tony Kirk