Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

In five years as an officer I never thought I would wear the black band over my shield as much as I have and once again another cowardly act has taken away another one of our finest that wears the same shield I do to protect and serve. You served bravely in the comminuty in which I live. We are all working to bring justice to this senseless act. My wife and I send out our deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers to your family and those of the Sterling Hts. Police Department. You will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace brother.

Officer Jason Vandervord
Fraser Police Department, MI

June 7, 2004

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and to the Stearling Heights Police Department. May God always be with you.

Patrol Officer Andrew Erickson
Pokagon Tribal Police

June 7, 2004

Watch over us in peace brother.
Justice will be served.
Our department mourns the loss of another everyday hero.

Constable Clay Harnum
Durham Regional Police, ON, CAN

June 7, 2004

Mark,

My heart and prayers go out to you and your family. I am proud that I was able to know you for the short time that you shared with us and the department. May your final rest be easy.

Michaela Martin ACO
Sterling Heights Police Department

June 7, 2004

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE STERLING HEIGHTS POLICE DEPT. AND OFFICER SAWYERS FAMILY MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES. ANOTHER BROTHER HAS BEEN TAKEN BY A SENSELESS ACT. YOUR JOB HERE IS DONE WATCH OVER US ALL NOW FOR YOU ARE WITH THE ANGELS.

DETECTIVE SCOTT JOHNSON
WALKER POLICE DEPARTMENT

June 7, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with you the family of Mark and with the department for the great lost. God has taken Mark home to watch over us forever.

God Speed
Susan McNabb-Police Officer
Greensboro North Carolina

Police Officer II Susan McNabb
Greensboro Police Department, North Carolina

June 7, 2004

Mark, we will never forget you. We all give "some" . . . you my brother, gave "all." I honor you, your name, your memory and mostly, I honor you for the ultimate sacrifice you made protecting all of us. Go rest high on that mountain Mark . . . we'll proudly cover you post on the thin blue line. With brotherly love and respect, Jim Crotty (Former Richmond, VA Police Officer.)

Jim Crotty, Special Agent (Ret.)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms

June 7, 2004

Mark, You are a hero and will always be remembered as one. I take some solace in knowing you left your family and friends(FOR NOW) doing a job that you choose and loved. I know you are in heaven. Don't worry about the coward, he will eventually have to answer to your brothers in blue and ultimately GOD. I lost a brother this year in circumstances as unfair as yours(attacked for no understandable reason). I have not left him a reflection yet, I can't physically type it and my hands are shacking now. I want to let your family,co-workers,friends and community know you will all get through this. I never knew you or any of them but I love you and will pray for you all.

June 7, 2004

Rest easy brother, The watch is ours now.

Officer
Atlanta Police

June 7, 2004

Watch over me now brother in blue. Enjoy the quiet ride home.

June 7, 2004

To Officer Sawyers family, friends, and the Sterling Heights Police Department. I would like to extend my condolences and deepest sympathy. You have lost a beautiful soul, but heaven has one more shining star. My thoughts and prays are with you all. Thanks Officer Sawyers for a job well done; may your soul rest in peace.

Patrol Officer
Prince George's County, Maryland

June 7, 2004

Rest in peace my brother.... We’ll take it from here. My prayers go out to your family and coworkers.

Deputy D. Dunham #788
Oakland County Sheriff's Office / CLEMIS

June 7, 2004

My deepest condolences to Officer Sawyers family, friends and fellow officers. You will all be in our thoughts and prayers. You will never be forgotten. May you rest in peace brother.

Deputy Don Cherry
Jackson County Sheriff's Dept, Michigan

June 7, 2004

Officer sawyers and my nephew office Ryan Cappelletty have something in common, they were both the first officers in their collective communities to die by gunfire, From my personal experience this is indeed a devastating time for the family but it is just as hard for his fellow officers. The family has lost a son, a brother, a father, a husband. the department has lost a brother, a comrade in arms a devoted partner one who was commited to ensuring the publics safety, No words can undo what has happened. But officer sawyers will be remembered as my nephew is remembered. These men and women who walk that thin blue line walk it not for themselves they walk that line for us, the civilians of the thousands of communites across this nation, I am proud of each and every one of them. Rest in piece brave officer. Your community is greatful beyond words.

William Burkholder
Uncle of Officer Ryan Cappelletty e.o.w.28 may 2003 Chesterfield PD

william burkholder
civillian

June 7, 2004

I pray for strength for your family and friends and guidance for the investigators so they may catch the cowards that did this. Rest high on the mountain, your fellow brothers and sisters will take it from here.

D/Sgt. Vencent Woods
State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

June 7, 2004

Rest in peace Brother Mark, you are a true hero and will never be forgotten.

Son of G. Truman Wortham EOW 7/15/73

June 7, 2004

Another brave soldier in the never ending war on criminals in our country has been killed by a cowardly enemy. May the ruthless criminal responsible for this murder be brought to justice and sentenced to the most severe penalty. May the memory of your service, heroism and sacrifice remain forever. We are proud of you and thankful for all of your service. May God bless you and your family.
AC

Trooper
Pennsylvania State Police

June 7, 2004

To the family of Officer Sawyers: May God bless you and keep you in his care during the difficult days ahead. The senselessness of your husband's death will never be understood, but from those in law enforcement, we say "Thanks for his dedication and determination in providing a better world for our families."

Alice Stoddard, Dispatcher
Bloomfield Twp PD

June 7, 2004

An officer just doing what they do, his job. Words cannot help much right now but to the family do know that we are all with you. To the fellow officers may justice rain down on those responsible for this horrible act and may they get what they deserve, we may be hundreds of miles from you but we stand with you always.

CPL GARY E MINTZ, TRAFFIC ENF
HENDERSON CO SHERIFF'S OFFICE NC

June 7, 2004

Rest in Peace. Justice will be served.

Police Officer
Syracuse Police Dept, NY

June 7, 2004

Mark,

It is so hard to accept that we will never again see your smiling face around the station.

I am honored to have known you. And I am lucky to have had the chance to call you my friend.

Charlie 30
Officer Sawyers

YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN MARK

Dispatcher Kathleen Gardner
Sterling Heights PD

June 7, 2004

"A COWARD DIES MANY TIMES BEFORE HIS DEATH, A HERO TASTES DEATH BUT ONCE"
VALOR, HONOR, COURAGE.
REST IN PEACE YOUNG SAMURAI

June 7, 2004

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sawyer family, and the brothers and sisters of the Sterling Heights Police Department.

Officer Adam Sokolove
Holland Police Department

June 7, 2004

I pray that God will protect your family during this terrible time and give them strength. I also pray that the cowards who took your life may suffer God's wrath!

Police Officer
Richmond (VA) Police Department

June 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 of eyes an 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 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, and 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

June 7, 2004