Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

The members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office salute your sacrifice. May you rest in peace.

The Members of
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Tampa, Florida

December 14, 2005

TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF CORP. POKORNY SORRY ABOUT YOUR GREAT LOSS,MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL OF YALL

L/CPL.M.V. HARRIS
SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY PATROL

December 14, 2005

We would like to offer our condolescenes to the family and friends of Corporal Joseph Pokorny. Words can not express our saddness in what has happened. We thank you for the great service and protection you have provided to everyone in the Commonwealth. We know you will continue to protect each officer from heaven. Thank you.

Elizabeth Borough Police, Pa

December 14, 2005

Corporal Pokorny, Thank you for your service. We have lost another brother from our family. My sincerest condolences to your family, friends and fellow PA State Police Officers. Rest easy brother, we have the watch now.

Sergeant James Alfieri
New York State Office of Court Administration

December 14, 2005

I was saddened to hear about Corporal Pokorny's Death. Knowing that some coward took his life and left him there. Your family, friends and brother officers will mourn you, but we won't let your death be in vain. You gave the ultimate sacrifice and justice will prevail.
To the children of Cpl. Pokorny, remember your dad as a hero. He protected many lives and his memory will live on. Rest in peace my brother.

Senior Investigator Ed Ramirez
Riverside County District Attorney

December 14, 2005

Rest easy, brother. My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends.

Trooper
Arkansas State Police

December 14, 2005

My prayers and sorrow for the family and friends of the fallen. I thank him for his 22 years of dedicated professionalisim. With him passes a small part of us all, as we all are brothers and sisters who serve. Rest now sir and God be with your loved ones. Thank you.

Detective T.M. Holland
Fairfax County Police Va.

December 14, 2005

Corporal, you have served the State of Pennsylvania with dignity and honor. You gave the ultimate sacrifice to the citizens of Pennsylvania and for that you will never be forgotten.

On behalf the members of the St. Louis County Police Department, please know that your friends, family and the members of the Pennsylvania State Police are in our thoughts and prayers during these trying times.

We pray that the person(s) responsibe for taking you from your children will be brought to justice. I'm sure your fellow troopers are doing everything possible to achieve this.

Rest in peace, heroes never die!

St. Louis County Police Department
St. Louis, Missouri

December 14, 2005

How can we make our representatives pass a bill that will make it a policy that no patrol person should ride alone? I often see 1 trooper standing beside an auto that he stopped; and I want to pull over to be his "backup witness", and to let the stopped auto driver know the officer is not alone.

Barbara Lavinson, citizen
grateful citizen

December 14, 2005

To Corporal Pokorny family and friends our hearts and prayers go out to you

God bless you

Terry Miyares, surviving spouse
Officer Emilio MIyares, Hialeah PD, Fl 11/6/86

December 14, 2005

Dear Joe's children,
I did not know your father but from what I have read of him, he is what every aspiring police officer should strive to become. Although he had over 20 years as a state trooper, it was not enough for him to be called a state trooper. He did not want to be on a desk shuffling paperwork. He truly cared for others whether they be the troopers he supervised or the citizens who depend on us every day for protection. He truly cared deeply for you both. I have two young children myself and can relate to his work ethic and his responsibilites to you both. I wish you peace in the memory of your dedicated, courageous, father.

Trooper
Massachusetts State Police

December 14, 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with Corporal Pokorny, his family and his department.
To Corporal Pokorny's children -- your dad was truly a hero who had great courage. I am very sorry that you have to endure this tragedy.
Mary Kay Balchunas
Mother of Jay Balchunas, EOW 11/5/04

December 14, 2005

G-d Speed Corporal Pokorny, Rest In Piece Brother. We have your watch now...
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family this and every holiday season.

Eric Margolin
McCandless Police Department

December 14, 2005

Joe, I only had the good fortune of knowing you for a short time, but you will be grievously missed. The pride you have in the uniform you wear and the job you did were clearly reflected when observing you. Our conversations truly let me know the excellent man and outstanding police officer you were. Your courageous acts of heroism both in the final minutes of duty and before will stand as a tribute for the world to know the greatness within you. You will be sorely missed by your family, your loved ones, your station, your troop, community, and those of us privileged enough to call you "friend."

May your soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Chuck Metcalfe, Chief Ass't Dist. Att'y
Chemung County District Attorney, Elmira, NY

December 14, 2005

Your memory will remain with us forever. We send our thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

Trooper
Pa State Police

December 14, 2005

We share your grief and send our deepest condolences as we lay to rest our finest.

P.O. Mike R.
NYPD

December 14, 2005

Corporal Pokorny, Thank you for your service to the great state of Pennsylvania and the United States of America. You sir, are a true hero, may justice come swift and harsh to those that took your life away. Thank you for protecting us from evil. Sir, you will be honored everyday, the sacrifice you made is the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you once again.

Godspeed and Rest in peace brother.

OFC Loss
Balto County Police

December 14, 2005

My sincerest condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers of this fallen hero.

Andrew/ Narcotics Detective
Baltimore City Police

December 14, 2005

I send my deepest condolences to Corporal Pokorny's family and fellow troopers. My thoughts are with you during this tragic time.

State Trooper Kellie Oaks
Utah Highway Patrol

December 14, 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Please rest assured that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and did not go unnoticed. It has been felt across this nation.

Fellow Officer in Texas

December 14, 2005

Cpl Pokorny, my thoughts and prayers are with your family. Thank you for your unselfishness dedication to the citizens of the Commonwealth of PA. You paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy the peace we have today. RIP

Agent Patrick W. Collins
PA Board of Probation and Parole

December 14, 2005

Godspeed Corporal Pokorny, your dedication to the job is not to be forgotten.

Our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Members of Service
Mount Vernon, NY Police Department

December 14, 2005

God bless you and your family. Your loss will not go forgotten. Rest in peace troop!!!

Trooper Gatewood
Florida Highway Patrol Troop L

December 14, 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

December 14, 2005

Rest in peace brother, may God bless you and your family.

Patrolman

December 14, 2005