Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

God Bless. We're never really "off duty", Rest in Peace...

Police Officer
Syracuse Police Dept,NY

August 14, 2004

My condolence to the family of Captain Sparks. This man is a Hero to us all. You will be remembered. God's Blessings for the LAPD who daily work to keep people safe.

Sr. Trooper Keith Miller (Ret)
Oregon State Police

August 14, 2004

A true warrior . . . we will never forget you. With brotherly love and respect, Jim Crotty (Former Richmond, VA Police Officer.)

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

August 14, 2004

GOD BLESS YOU SIR!

JEFF KING
VAMC

August 14, 2004

May the Lord embrace your smile as you patrol heaven, I'll 25 with you there.

Sgt Dan Brotz #5211
Pekin Police, IL.

August 14, 2004

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation would like to express its deepest regrets to the family, friends and co-workers of Captain Michael Sparkes. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you during these troubled times.

Chicago Police Memorial Foundation

August 14, 2004

Rest Easy Brother Michael, the Watch is Ours Now and Yours was with Honor. Our Thoughts and Prayers are
with your Family, Friends and Co-Workers.

APD #128
Altoona Police Dept. Altoona, Pa

August 14, 2004

God bless the wife, children, family, friends and coworkers of Captain Sparkes. My heart and prayers are with you all in this terrible time of loss.

Deb Azure
Mother of Deputy Renee Danell Azure
EOW 08/06/02

August 14, 2004

On behalf of the men and women who serve and work for the Georgia Perimeter College Police Department, our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Michael Sparkes' family, friends, and co-workers with the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety.

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

Officer Johns
Georgia Perimeter College Police Department

August 14, 2004

To the family, friends, and co-workers my prayers are with you. There is nothing anyone can say at this time to make you feel any better, I wish there was. The only thing that helped me was that I knew Clint loved being a police officer, and would not have traded places with anyone.
Captain Sparkes I know that your family will miss you everyday, but we will never forget you.. And tell Clint we miss him..

Connie Barker
Mother of P.O. Clint Walker E.O.W. 1-14-04

August 14, 2004

I feel compelled to leave a reflection this great man, who has been taken from us. This country needs more dedicated men and women like Captain Sparkes, who defend our communities on a daily basis.

Captain Sparkes, I thank you for your service and your dedication. I mourn your loss. Los Angeles is a better place because of your service. I also express my depest condolences to the family,friends, and co-workers of this good man.

August 14, 2004

I was so saddened to learn we had lost another officer. Captain Sparks certainly died a hero; living long enough to describe his killers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow officers. Rest in peace sir.

Captain Robert W. Cannon, Ret.
Vermilion Co, Il. Sheriff's Dept.

August 14, 2004

Our deepest sympathy to the family of Captain Michael Sparkes and the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety...our hearts and prayers are with you all...... Thank you for a job well done Michael... rest in peace as you continue your watch from the heavens......your memory will never be forgotten...

God Bless....Be Safe..... and wear your vests...

Vin, Pook and all of us at beyond-the-blue

Vinman and Pooky -Site Owners
beyond-the-blue

August 14, 2004

God bless you my friend.

Deputy J.A. Seiberling
Medina County Sheriffs Office

August 14, 2004

Thank you, Sir, for your many years of service and dedication. May GOD watch over your family and friends at this terrible time and help them cope with this senseless act. Rest in peace, Sir.

Shirley Roberts-Oakdale, La.
Aunt of Fallen Officer John Logan EOW-March 14, 2004

August 14, 2004

Thank you Captain Sparkes for keeping us safe from bad. God bless you.

Renny Kassel
California Citizen

August 14, 2004

To Captian Michael Sparkes you were a true hero. You paid the ultimate sacrifice for those who lived around you. You now walk a beat where there is no violence. Only peace. Rest well.

First Sergeant Salvatore A. Torelli
Fauquier County Sheriff's Office, VA

August 14, 2004

On behalf of the men and women of the La Habra Police Department we send our condolences to the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety and the family of Captain Sparkes. It doesn't matter what part of the country we work in, when one of our brothers or sisters fall, we all feel the pain and the loss. Rest in Peace Captain Sparkes.

Sergeant Jeff Baylos
La Habra Police Department

August 14, 2004

Rest in peace Captain Sparkes. You will never be forgotten.

Ashley Drury
Clare, Michigan

August 13, 2004

CAPT Sparkes, I'm CAPT Mike. Nice to meet you. I wish we were friends. Your crime here was riding a bike and looked rob-able. Little did these punk-perps know who you were, what you did and who they left behind. They left behind a beautiful wife, daughter and son. I'll bet they didn't think to ask you about your family while they were robbing you. They have no clue about a loving family life.

They also took you away and left behind your fellow officers. You have watched them come and go for over 30 year...30 YEARS! How many friends do you have in LA County... probably hundreds. They are going to miss you sir.

Well, it appears that they have arrested both punk-perps. Good. It's too bad that they live in the liberal California. The death sentence is rarely used. These two punk deserve the death sentence. They killed an officer ... you even identified yourself as one and yet they took you away from us. Good Job LAPD for catching these murderous punks.

To CAPT Sparks family: he's always been a cop, hell, he loved being a cop. He did it for 30 years. It was his life. It was hard at time, believe me, it still is. You worried for him and you loved him. Couldn't wait until Daddy came home. I'm not going to get all sanctemoneous here with all kinds of cliche's, just this: Fear Not. Mike (Daddy) is home now. He will walk as a protector of Heaven, shoulder to shoulder with Saint Michael, our protector (we "Mike's" do that). He'll cruise the gold streets of heaven as he protected the streets on earth (I wonder if they'll let him get that new 2005 Crown Vic...I'd bet he'd like that new car smell)? He'll be keeping an eye on the family. When you feel that bit of grief, I know it hurts, it hurts in your heart ... your gut. Thats the pain of Mike filling your body up with his love. It takes awhile for him to fully populate himself into you and it will get better. Once it gets better, you'll know that he is fully in your heart. You'll sleep better, you live better and guess what? You'll be better. Love and prayers. He does listen and he does respond. Nothing obvious at first, but over time, when you feel that melancholy cool breeze as you stare at the skies and reflect on the good times, that's him. It always works like that. Jesus himself does this regularly. Talk to him everynow and then and give it a try. It works.

Well, I've rambled on long enough. I hope his fellow officers stop by and just right a note. I don't know CAPT Sparkes, but I get this feeling that he was a big loveable guy that wanted to do the right thing.

I'm not a real religious guy, but I study the bible and it's philosophies. The was said by Jesus: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Thank you friend.

~CAPT Mike
PD CAPT
East Coast, U.S.

CAPT Mike

August 13, 2004

Rest in Peace my brother in Blue

Prince William County Police Department, Virginia

August 13, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with Captain Sparkes' wife, children, family, friends and co-workers. May God surround you with peace that passes all understanding. Psalm 55:22

Denise Nichols - surviving spouse
Alabama State Trooper Brian Nichols EOW 2/17/2002

August 13, 2004

To Captain Sparkes' family, friends and fellow officers, We hold you close in our hearts as you go through this difficult time.

The family of Dave Grant/EOW 5/31/04
Tuolumne Co. Sheriff's Dept.

August 13, 2004

Pride Integrity and Guts

Some of you may know my face, but not my name. Most of you have seen me around the city and some have even met me, but not always under the best of circumstances. Some of you have even spoken to me on the phone, when you called me while I was working.

Most of you have an opinion on how my job should be done, but would never take my job if it was the last one on earth. And some of you who don't even know me, hate me because of my job. But when I go to my job, I go to make a difference and so I can fight what everyone else fears.

When most would be running away from danger, my job requires me to run towards it. I do this in the hopes of making a difference for someone else I don't even know. Most people say I make too much money, because my pay is published in the newspaper. But don't think twice about hearing about another sports player sign a 20 million dollar contract for 6 months a year of playing a "game."

Since my job's base pay isn't the best I must work extra to pay the bills. Including working extra shifts on holidays, and pick up side work at construction sites as well on my days off, most still complain thinking I am greedy, but don't they realize that I to must pay taxes, have a mortgage car payments and kids in collage as well?

Don't they understand that I am not paid for what I do, but for what I am willing to do for them? After all how can you properly compensate someone to risk their own life and face danger everyday they go to work?

And when I go to work I am punched, kicked, spit on and called every name in the book for doing my job. And every night I leave my house to go to work I realize I may not come back home in the morning. Because when I go to work I can be stabbed, shot, drown, fall, be electrocuted, or die in a car accident rushing to help you.

My job also requires me to carry special "tools" to help me do my job. Sometimes even while doing my job I have to defend myself from someone attacking me. Although, the newspapers will report to you that I "beat someone down", and not that I defended myself from an attack.

While at work I must also carry a gun to protect you, but should I have to use it, the media reports to you that I "gunned someone down" or that I "shot and killed" somebody, and not that I defended myself. Don't they realize that I shoot to live and never to kill?

Also when I go to work I wrap a protective vest around me to help keep me safe through my shift. I use this vest so that I will be allowed to live to the end of my work day. And hope and pray that should something bad happen that this vest helps keep me alive so that I will be allowed to see my children grow.

When I go to my job, I will see more pain, sorrow, agony, death and destruction in one month than most of you will see in an entire lifetime.


And to the ones who don't know me, I unforunetly will meet most of you at the worst times in your life.

You often will call me to come help you out with a problem. But if you have a really big problem you can get me at a special 3 digit number and me and my coworkers will race to your house, just to help you no questions asked. All you have to do is call and we will be there for you, no matter what time, day, night or holiday, rain shine or blizzard.

Sometimes my job also requires me to deliver lectures, babies and even bad news. I am also the one required to ring your doorbell in the middle of the night, swallow hard and advise you that a loved one will not be coming home tonight, then I spend the rest of my shift wondering why I ever took such a job.

Some people even refer to me as a "pig," but when I hear that word called to me or one of my coworkers I think of Pride, Integrity and Guts, which everyone in my profession needs to do this job.

Me and my coworkers must be able to have muscles of steel, have a sense of humor and put ourselves into dangerous situations and face danger head on all in a days work.

We must act in a second and make a decision in the blink of an eye, and spend the rest of our life hoping we made the right choice in that split second. If not we can be arrested and charged with breaking a law, be sued for violating someone's rights, or end up with even a worse fate.

My job requires me to take an oath to be their and to risk my life to protect you. And it is an oath that me and my fellow coworkers have taken and is one that we will not break.

What, you ask is my job, I am your local police officer. And what do I ask in return of doing all this and risking my life for you, nothing at all because it is my job and my hope, of being the one who makes the difference.

Officer David Carroll
Oklahoma

August 13, 2004

MAY GOD BLESS THE FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COWORKERS OF CAPTAIN SPARKES. THE CAPTAIN IS A HERO FOR SURE. THANKS FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO YOUR CITY AND COUNTRY. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY YOU REST IN PEACE. YOU SERVED WELL MY BROTHER.

CHIEF RONNIE WATFORD-RET.
JEFFERSON POLICE DEPT,S.C.

August 13, 2004