Vigil Held For Utah’s Fallen Officers
May 13, 2019, 10:47 PM | Updated: May 14, 2019, 3:15 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A vigil at the fallen officer memorial on the west side of the Utah state capitol served as a reminder that no amount of time can fill the void left behind by a fallen officer.
Loved ones and strangers gathered to honor and remember the people behind the names that now decorate the wall below the phrase “In valor there is hope.”
“I think it means a lot,” the event organizer Stephanie Elkins said.
Her husband Michael Elkins is a sergeant in the Draper Police Department.
“For us all to come together means a lot to us and I think it means just as much to the families,” Sgt. Elkins said.
A vigil for Utah’s fallen officers at the state capitol. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/r98tzICl9B
— Matt Rascon (@MattRasconNews) May 14, 2019
Sgt. Elkins knows what it’s like to lose a friend in the line of duty.
“It’s extra hard when we have to add another name to the list,” he said.
Sadly, three more names were added to the wall in just the last year, including South Salt Lake Police Officer David Romrell, who was hit by a car and killed in November 2018.
Brigham City Deputy Police Chief Dennis Vincent died in October. He suffered a stroke and collapsed just after his yearly fitness test.
In January, another tragedy, Provo Police Officer Joseph Shinners was shot and killed, leaving another void in the hearts of loved ones, strangers and fellow officers.
Monday’s event happened at the same time as the National Vigil for Fallen Officers in Washington D.C. Officer Romrell’s family attended that event.
