Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. My condolences to your family, friends and coworkers of the Jackson Police Department. May you rest in peace.

Ptlm. William F. Shields
Federal Reserve Police/Philadelphia - Retired/Haverford Police

April 5, 2013

DET ERIC SMITH R.I.P.

MICHAEL LONG
NY STATE POLICE RETIRED

April 5, 2013

america lost another hero. god bless you sir. go rest in heaven we have it from here. may GOD bless your family and friends. R.I.P. BROTHER.

SERGEANT MARC RILEY
ARAGON POLICE DEPT

April 5, 2013

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE. REST IN PEACE.

POLICE OFFICER
NAPERVILLE IL POLICE DEPARTMENT

April 5, 2013

RIP brother Detective, Eric.

May God bless and be with your family, co-workers and friends at this very difficult time.

Detective Bevenour
Gettysburg Police Dept

April 5, 2013

I am deeply sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences.

R. Brown
Department of Corrections

April 5, 2013

To the family, friends and Jackson Police Department, Mississippi. Please know you are in my thoughts & prayers now and in the days to come. May God hold you all close to Him. John 15;13

Patrolman A.S. Batson
Cherry Police Department, Goldsboro, NC

April 5, 2013

So sorry to hear of your loss. My Heart goes out to his family. Very sad. Thanks to Officer Eric Smith and Police Officers all over our country who sacrifice so much each day for you and me. There is not enough words to say thank you Officer Eric Smith for your bravery. You are in my prayers. May the public remember your sacrifice. Nashville TN

Joe L. Loftis
Son of Ret. Metro Police Officer

April 5, 2013

Rest In Peace. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Special Agent
Homeland Security Investigations / H S I

April 5, 2013

May you R.I.P brother. It was an absolute honor, pleasure, and privilege to have known you and worked with you. You left a void at JPD that can never be filled. On behalf of M.A.G.I., we send our condolences to your family and the Jackson Police Department.

President
Mississippi Association of Gang Investigators

April 5, 2013

My heart goes out to the family and the police dept. I pray you all stay in contact with the family keeping them close to work through the pain.

Retired Detective Aaron D. Perkins
Baltimore Police Department

April 5, 2013

MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO ALL WHO MOURN THE LOSS OF DET SMITH. MAY GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU WITH THE LOVE AND PEACE OF HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST. DET SMITH, YOU HAVE SERVED WELL. MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE. A HERO FOR SURE. MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.

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

April 5, 2013

This poem was written after getting my wife’s 19 years perspective of being a police officer’s wife.


“He Does it For You!”

He doesn’t do it for the money,
Cause surely there’s something better to do,
He says, “Someone has to do it!”
So really, he does it for you.

His eight to twelve hours is from call to call,
From a murder to a cat in a tree,
You say he’s never around when you really need him,
But without him, where would you be?

You curse him when you get a speeding ticket,
And scream there’s something better he could do,
But have you looked at how many deaths there are on the highways,
So really, he’s doing it for you.

He’s always seeing so much bad in the world,
He really doesn’t know what to do,
He wonders sometimes if it’s even worth it,
But he knows he has to do it for you.

Each day when he leaves for work,
And I always kiss him good-bye,
I don’t know if I’ll see him again,
Cause the day might be the day he dies.

So many times he comes home from work,
And I see a small tear in his eyes,
I ask him what is the problem dear?
And he says another innocent person has died.

You always say a cop isn’t human,
Cause at a tragedy he’s cool from the start,
But you don’t have to live with him,
And watch his mind and heart break apart.

I remember one hot June night at work,
His supervisor came, “Your husband’s been hurt!”, he said,
It was such a long ride to the hospital,
They wouldn’t say if he was alive or dead.

Crime is always on the increase,
The streets a battle ground,
And when one in “Blue” is slain,
At the funeral-taps will sound.

He’ll lay in a flagged draped coffin,
An honor for those who die for this land,
Just like the Army, Navy and Marines,
He died by the enemies hands.

Most ordinary citizens won’t be at the funeral,
But you’ll see plenty of people wearing blue,
You’ll see dozens of marked patrol cars,
Honoring the one who died for you.


Written by David L Bell Copyright © 1991
Retired Deputy Sheriff after over 38 years
Richland County Sheriff’s Dept
Columbia, SC

Investigator David L Bell (Retired)
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC

April 5, 2013

In Honor of your Sacrifice and for your family and friends, I salute you as a HERO! May God
Give the family and friends the strength and faith to deal with this tragic loss. Words can not express my sorrow!

"The Badge"

He starts his shift each day
To respond to calls unknown.
He drives a marked patrol car.
A police officer he is known.

He's paid by the citizens' taxes
To make it safe on the streets.
But he usually has a second job
'Cause a waitress has his salary beat.

Now he doesn't know a holiday
'Cause he works all year round.
And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive
At his home he cannot be found.

He's cursed and assaulted often,
The one whos blood runs blue.
He seldom ever gets a thanks,
To some he's just a fool.

His friends are always other cops
'Cause people just don't understand
That underneath his badge and gun,
He's just another man.

He knows there might not be a tomorrow
In this world of drugs and crime.
And he gets so mad at the court system
'Cause the crooks don't get any time.

And each day when he leaves for work,
He prays to God above.
Please bring me home after my shift
So I can see the ones I love.

But tonight he stops a speeding car,
He's alone down this ole' highway.
It's just a little traffic infraction.
He does it everyday.

Well, he walks up to the driver's window,
And his badge is shining bright.
He asked the guy for a driver's license,
When a shot rang through the night.

Yes, the bullet hit its mark,
Striking the officer in the chest.
But the Department's budget didn't buy
Each officer a bullet-proof vest.

So he lay on the ground bleeding.
His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red.
And briefly he thought of his loved ones
'Cause in a moment the officer was dead.

In the news they told the story
Of how this officer had died.
And some who listened cared less,
But those who loved him cried.

Well, they buried him in uniform
With his badge pinned on his chest.
He even had his revolver,
He died doing his best.

Written By:
David L. Bell

Richland County Sheriff's Department
Columbia, South Carolina
Used with Special Permission of the Author
Copyright © 1993 - All Rights Reserved
and may not be duplicated without permission

This may be re-posted in the Honor of his death and the death of any Law Enforcement Officer

Investigator David L Bell (Retired)
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC

April 5, 2013

Rest in peace my brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and the Jackson Police Department.

James J. Scanlon (Retired C.P.D.)
North American SWAT Training Assoc

April 5, 2013

you will be missed and the family short another good officer i just hope your death shows and fixes the department flaws that let this happen best wishes to his family

We Are All Family police fire Evan Security and alarm officers we have all sworn in one way or another to protect and serve people

April 5, 2013

The condolences and prayers from the Waterbury Police Department are with you, your family and co-workers tonight. May God's hand rest softly upon your shoulders.

Sgt. C. Sampson
Waterbury Police Department, CT

April 5, 2013

God rest and God speed. My deepest condolences to your family, friends and department. May God comfort and bless each and everyone in your life.

Sergeant Justin Allen
Colorado Department of Corrections

April 5, 2013

REST IN PEACE BROTHER. YOU ARE A TRUE HERO.

Deputy J. D. Davis
Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office

April 5, 2013

The loss of any police officer in the line of duty is painful for all decent citizens. May this officer's family find comfort in the knowledge he was a light and a force for good, in an increasingly hard world. As someone who lost friends and co-workers in 9/11, remember how they lived, not how they died.

Dee Payton
just a citizen

April 5, 2013

Rest In Peace Detective Smith. Our deepest heartfelt condolences to all of your family, friends, and brothers and sisters at Jackson Police Department.

Postal Inspector Scott Horne
US Postal Inspection Service

April 5, 2013

My heart and prayers go out to Detective Smith's family and friends. I send my deepest sympathy to his family and the Jackson Police Department

Lt Russell Lizotte
Bristol County Sheriff's Office

April 5, 2013

My prayers and thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Det. Tonya Scarvers
City of Racine, WI. Police Department

April 5, 2013

IN HONORE CASORUM
Gone, but not forgotten.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues.

Sgt. T. J. Jones
Greater Cleveland Transit Police Department, Ohio

April 5, 2013

Rest in Peace Detective Smith. May God Bless your family at this difficult time. And condolences to the Jackson Police Department.

Sergeant Leonard Day
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

April 5, 2013