GALION — The Galion Police Department, represented by Officer Caleb Sherman and Officer Brandon Grant, joined the third annual Light Ohio Blue campaign caravan on May 17. The caravan started at the Columbus State Delaware Campus and traveled to locations within central Ohio.
“This year we began in Delaware at the Columbus State campus,” Officer Grant said, “Once we arrived we were able to meet families of fallen officers, and we had a ‘roll call’ ceremony where Attorney General Dave Yost spoke, and read all of the fallen officers names. We ended with prayer and a bagpipe tribute.”
The annual Light Ohio Blue statewide campaign honors law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and their surviving family members and shows support for current law enforcement personnel across the Buckeye State.
“I think it’s the least we can do to remember the sacrifices that those officers made while serving and protecting their communities, and it’s a way that we can show our continued support for the officers’ families,” Chief Marc Rodriquez said last week of his department’s participation.
“Once the caravan started we drove through Delaware, Plain City, and Marysville where we were met with supporters lining the roads. We made a stop at Ohio Stadium where officers and fallen officers’ families took a group photo on the field near the ramp entrance. We ended the caravan downtown with one final stop before all the agencies and families parted ways,” Grant wrote in sharing the experience.
He added, “In my opinion, the best part of the event was seeing how many agencies came to Central Ohio to support the event. There were cruisers from as far south as Cincinnati, and as far north as Cleveland. I think that speaks volumes for the support we have for each other, and also for the families of fallen officers. The amount of people that lined the roads in the cities we drove through was also incredible. Some people made signs and held up thin blue line flags as we drove by. I’m already looking forward to the event next year!”
U.S. Senator Rob Portman joined his colleagues in supporting a resolution marking National Police Week. The bipartisan resolution was adopted unanimously by the Senate.
The resolution honors the 576 law enforcement officers nationally who were killed in the line of duty in 2021, including nearly 400 who died from COVID-19, as well as the 92 lost to date in 2022 in our country. Last year marked the most intentional killings of police since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
