Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Thank you for your service. Please watch over all of us from above. You will never be forgotten.

Anonymous

January 10, 2004

God Bless you Sir. We will not Forget.

Anonymous

January 9, 2004

I can not imagine the pain Larry's family is going through. I understand that just hours before he was taken from this world into eternity he was in the prayer room of his church. I can only imagine he must have prayed "God use me" and God knew his heart and that he was sincere. Within hours God used Larry and another Christian officer to forever change Athen, Alabama. May not just their death, but the life and example they were make our Christian life different and bring others to Christ and an eternal home in Heaven. You will never be forgotten....
Proud to have been a friend.
SH

January 9, 2004

Larry you would have ben proud of your family This week they stood tall for all to see. They were brave as you were, on that day that you were taken from us.But now in my home away from others i weep out loud for no one to here.

Be proud of your sons and daughters as i know you are, they will be strong, for time will heal us all. be sure that we will watch out for them in every step they take, For you are our brother that no one can take from our hearts.

Rest in peace my brother I will miss you dearly!!!

RON

R Russell
SCDNR

January 8, 2004

I am very saddened to hear of your loss. Rest in Peace Brother in Blue.

TFC B.L. Mims
GEORGIA STATE PATROL

January 8, 2004

My god be with the family and the Athens police department. Rest in peace you gave the ultimate sacrifice, you will allways be remember as a "HERO"

Deputy Porfirio Grimaldo
Rankin County Sheriff's Dept. (MS)

January 8, 2004

To the friends and family of Sgt. Russell, I am very sorry for your loss. Sgt. Russell was a hero and although I have never met him, I love him. He was my brother... Sgt. Russell, thanks for the hours, days, months, years and blood you gave for your community. May God bless and keep you...

To the heros left behind, Peace to you.

Officer G. Calef
Eugene Or. Police Department

Police officer Greg Calef
Eugene Oregon Police Dept.

January 8, 2004

Rest in Peace Brother. My thoughts and prayers are with your family, and friends.

SGT. Cliff Dore
ST. Martin Parish Sheriffs Office

January 8, 2004

I pray for the family, friends, and the men and woman of the Athens Police Dept. Rest in Peace Brother in Blue.

Corporal Judson T. McClantoc
Kinsey Police Dept. Alabama

January 8, 2004

May God comfort your family and friends during this tragic and difficult time.

TFC Jason W. Ginn
Mississippi Highway Patrol

January 7, 2004

Larry will always be in the hearts of the Smith's. Larry we miss you! We shall never forget you!

Shelby Smith Friend

January 7, 2004

Rest in peace brother in blue.
The watch is ours now.

God bless your family and your department.
Thanks for your dedication and service.

Trooper
Pennsylvania State Police

January 7, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, the Athens Police Department and your community Sergeant Larry Wayne Russell. Thank you for your service to your community and to this great country. I salute you sir, you will never be forgotten.

Lt Thomas H. Drury
Clare City Police Department Clare, Mi

January 7, 2004

“When God made Peace Officers….”

When the lord was creating Peace Officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, “You’re 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 their uniform.

They have 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.

They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half- eaten meals. And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands….No Way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me the problems,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs if eyes and officer has to have.”

That’s on the standard model? asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, “May I see what’s in there sir?” (When they already know and wishes in that they had taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of their head for their partners’ safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, “ You’ll be alright ma’am, when they know it isn’t so.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve,” rest and work tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on civil service paycheck.”

The angel circled the model of the Peace Officer very slowly, “Can it think?” she asked.

“You bet,” said the Lord, “It can tell you elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in it’s sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five judges to debate the legality of the stop…and still it keeps it’s sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with crime scenes painted in HELL, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim’s family’ and then read in the daily paper how Law Enforcement isn’t sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angel 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, “It’s a tear.”

“What’s the tear for?” asked the angel.

“It’s 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 angel.

The Lord looked sober. “I didn’t put it there,” he said.


Anonymous

Senior Instructor
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

January 7, 2004

God Bless You and Your Family.
Thank You for What You Did Every Day.

Anonymous

January 7, 2004

Rest in peace

Shannon

January 6, 2004

Larry:

Today we laid you to rest.

Snow was blowing. As the bagpipes played Amazing Grace, a drab, dreary sky broke and comforting warmth embraced all of us as the sun once again shone through. Thus it will be in a little while. Thank you for your sacrifice and dedication. I will never forget you.

Paramedic
Athens-Limestone Hospital EMS

January 6, 2004

Rest in peace brother. God bless your family.

Officer K.A. Lokey
Norfolk Police Department, Virginia

January 6, 2004

May GOD bless the family, friends and co-workers of Sgt. Russell. Another Hero has fallen, but will never be forgotten! All will be in my Prayers.

Johnny Hall
Deputy U.S. Marshal (Retired)
Huntsville, Al

Dep. U.S. Marshal (Retired) Johnny Hall
United States Marshal,s Service

January 6, 2004

To know that a tragidy like this one affects your own life is painful but to the family of Larry it has to unbearable.God has to be with all of us during this time.Prayers and thoughts go out to the family.Thanks SGT. Russell for your dedication to the task.You will be missed but never forgotten......................

Marcus Huseth, Firefighter/Paramedic
Athens Fire & Rescue/Athens EMS

January 6, 2004

From all of us here at Athens-Limestone EMS…..You will be missed, but never forgotten. You and your family will remain in our payers. May God bring peace to you and your family.

B. Kinzer ALS-3, T. McGill ALS-12, A. Gatlin ALS-7, K. Shell ALS-33, D. Thompson ALS-21, W. Dement ALS-18, and D. Williams ALS-22

David Williams
Athens-Limestone EMS

January 5, 2004

To the wife, children, parents, and friends and family of Sergeant Larry Russell, I am so very sorry for your most valued loss. There are no words to ease the pain in your hearts today but there is still the ray of hope from God above. This reflection is just to let you know that you are being prayed for and that tonight heaven rejoices that another angel has came home. Again, you are forever in my prayers and again, I am so very sorry for this great loss.

Tawana Ogg
Houston, Texas

Tawana Ogg

January 5, 2004

God speed brother. John 15:13.

Inv. Shawn Pardazi
Northeast Texas Narcotics Task Force

January 5, 2004

May God be with you through this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with the Russell Family, Friends, and their loved ones.


Anonymous

Anonymous

January 5, 2004

Heaven just got another badge carrying hero. Rest in Peace Brother Russell.

Randy Cavnar Officer
Decatur Al. Police

January 5, 2004