Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

I would like to extend my condolences to Senior Agent Matkin's family and friends, and to the men and women of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time of tragedy. Rest in peace Agent Matkin, your duty here is done.

Deputy Sheriff
Butte County Sheriff's Office

March 11, 2005

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MY BROTHER AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA AND TO LAWENFORCEMENT.

OFFICER JEREMY BALLARD
PONCHATOULA POLICE DEPT.

March 11, 2005

Rest in peace Brother.

Tpr. Robert Burns II
Louisiana State Police Troop A

March 11, 2005

Agent Matkin,
Rest Easy Brother! You are in our prayers.

Dep. P. Sperandeo, Off. A. Sperandeo
Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, Gretna Police Dept. LA

March 10, 2005

Rest in Peace Agent Matkin. Our prayers and thoughts are with your family, friends and co-workers.

Police Officer
Hunterdon County, New Jersey

March 10, 2005

On behalf of the entire membership of the FBI Agents Association, I send my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of SA Matkin.

SA Darin L. Paul
FBI Detroit Division

March 9, 2005

I will miss you more than words can describe. Thank you for you friendship.

Carrie Bartko

March 7, 2005

Our sincere condolences go out to the family of Senior Agent Matkin and to all the personnel of the Louisana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries who worked with him.

While it is no consolation for your loss, remember that we, and many others in this country, appreciate the sacrifice that he made in his effort to ensure the safety of the public.

God bless.

Southwest Central Dispatch
Palos Heights, IL

March 7, 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with the family, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife.

Fallen but never forgotten.

Bryan Laurie son of Fallen Officer
Nathan Laurie EOW 7-29-04

March 7, 2005

Dear Senior Agent Matkin,

John Maxwell said "Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it. The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it- in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance." Senior Agent Matkin, you have done this! You have given your life for the citizens of Louisiana. Thank you for a leaving a legacy.
-Anonymous

March 7, 2005

“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

March 7, 2005

My condolences to the family, friends and co-workers. You are walking down a path know one wants to travel, and it will be a long one. The one thing that kept popping into my head was knowing how much Clint loved being a police officer. He had told me that he had his perfect job.
Agent Matkin your family will miss you everyday, but we will never forget you. Look Clint up for me tell him I love and miss him...

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

March 7, 2005

God bless you and your family. You will never be forgotten.

DE
St. Louis City Police

March 6, 2005

My condolences to the Family and to his fellow Officers. Thank you Agent Matkin for your service to the Community and for a job well done.

Cpl Barry W Cannon
Center Hill Police Dept. Center Hill, Fla

March 6, 2005

Rest in peace my brother Warden.

Ray Spears, State Game Warden
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

March 6, 2005

WHAT IS A COP?

Cops are human ( believe it or not) just like the rest of us. They come in both sexes but mostly male. They also come in various sizes. This sometimes depends on whether you are looking for one or trying to hide something. However, they are mostly big.

Cops are found everywhere-on land, on the sea, in the air, on horses, in cars, sometimes in your hair. In spite of the fact that "you can't find one when you want one", they are usually there when it counts most. The best way to get one is to pick up the phone.

Cops deliver lectures, babies, and bad news. They are required to have the wisdom of Solomon, the disposition of a lamb and muscles of steel and are often accused of having a heart to match. He's the one who rings the door-bell, swallows hard and announces the passing of a loved one; then spends the rest of the day wondering why he ever took such a "crummy" job.

On TV, a cop is an oaf who couldn't find a bull fiddle in a telephone booth. In real life he's expected to find a little blond boy "about so high" in a crowd of a half million people. In fiction, he gets help from private eyes, reporters, and who-dun-it fans." In real life, mostly all he gets from the public is "I didn't see nuttin'."

When he serves a summons, he's a monster. If he lets you go, he's a doll. To little kids, he's either a friend or a bogeyman, depending on how the parents feel about it. He works "around the clock", split shifts, Sundays and holidays, and it always kills him when a joker says. "Hey tomorrow is Election Day, I'm off, let's go fishing" (that's the day he works 20 hours).

A cop is like the little girl, who, when she was good, was very, very good, but, when she was bad, was horrid. When a cop is good, "he's getting paid for it." When he makes a mistake, "he's a grafter, and that goes for the rest of them too." When he shoots a stick-up man he's a hero, except when the stick-up man is "only a kid, anybody coulda seen that."

Lots of them have homes, some of them covered with ivy, but most of them covered with mortgages. If he drives a big car, he's a chiseler; a little car, "who's he kidding?" His credit is good; this is very helpful, because his salary isn't. Cops raise lots of kids; most of them belong to other people.

A cop sees more misery, bloodshed, trouble, and sunrises than the average person. Like the postman, cops must also be out in all kinds of weather. His uniform changes with the climate, but his outlook on life remains about the same: mostly a blank, but hoping for a better world.

Cops like days off, vacations, and coffee. They don't like auto horns, family fights, and anonymous letter writers. They have unions, but they can't strike. They must be impartial, courteous, and always remember the slogan "At your service." This is sometimes hard, especially when a character reminds him, "I'm a taxpayer, I pay your salary."

Cops get medals for saving lives, stopping runaway horses, and shooting it out with the bandits (once in a while his widow gets the medal). But sometimes, the most rewarding moment comes when, after some small kindness to an older person, he feels the warm hand clasp, looks into grateful eyes and hears, "Thank you and God bless you."

Officer David Carroll
Choctaw Oklahoma

March 6, 2005

My fiancé, Dennis McElderry, was the first law enforcement casualty of 2003. Dennis was a Deputy Sheriff with the Davis County Sheriff's Office in southeast Iowa. Dennis died doing a job he loved, just as I'm sure Jim did. It saddens me to know that Dennis was not the first to die in the line of duty, nor will he and Jim be the last to die this way.

Having gone through the pain of losing Dennis I can truly understand and feel the pain that Agent Matkin's family, friends, and co-workers must be feeling. My heart goes out to you all. No one can truly understand the pain of our loss until they've walked in our shoes. I wish I could give you a few words of wisdom to help you through this tough time, but there isn't anything I can really say or do to make the situation better. Just know that my thoughts are with you.

Please accept my condolences on behalf of the McElderry family and remember that Jim is part of huge law enforcement family. If you ever need anything any number of them will be there for you (as I've quickly found out!) From reading the many reflections posted here, I am certain Jim was well respected and well loved. Jim sounds like an amazing man. You were blessed to have had him in your life, even for a short time.

Thank you Agent Matkin for a job well done and for helping to make this world a safer place for us all. Please say "hello" to my fiancé Dennis for me.

Wishing you brighter and better days,

Jocelyne :)

Jocelyne Brar (Winnipeg, MB Canada)
Fiancée of Deputy Sheriff Dennis Ray McElderry - EOW (01/03/03)

March 6, 2005

Rest in peace Agent Matkin.

Officer K.A. Lokey
Norfolk Police Department

March 5, 2005

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Agent Matkin's family and friends. Please watch over us brother, for you are in a better place. God Bless

Officer Jack Manuel
Pocono Twp Police, Pa

March 5, 2005

We in Wildlife LE never know what will be next. My sorrow goes out to the Family, Friends and Co-workers. I know it is a great loss. My prayers are with you. Chuck Dial 1st. Sgt. SCDNR

1st.Sgt.Chuck Dial
SC Dept. of Natural Res.

March 5, 2005

Rest in peace my brother. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. GOD BLESS.

P.O. JAMES MARKHAM
Detroit P.D. 9th pct

March 5, 2005

God Bless you.

S.Bullock
Douglasville, GA

March 5, 2005

Our condolences to the family and friends and to our brother and sister Officers of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Agent Matkin you can stand at parade rest,we have the watch now. A-SQUAD will dedicate its shift tonight in your memory.Godspeed,Sir

A-SQUAD
W.P.D Woodbridge CT

March 4, 2005

Rest in peace. My sympathies for the loved ones left behind

Danny Bazzell - Director
Palmdale Sheriff's Boosters, Palmdale Ca

March 4, 2005

REST IN PEACE MY BROTHER OFFICER. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND THE DEPARTMENT. ALOHA AND GOD BLESS.

POLICE OFFICER
HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT

March 4, 2005