Yesterday, Monday, May 16, 2016 Henry County Law Enforcement and other Public Safety agencies gathered at the Henry County Public Safety Complex on Zack Hinton Pkwy to pay homage to Henry County law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. This was part of National Police week.

Among those in attendance were friends and family members of the fallen, fellow officers, firefighters, county and city officials and citizens from all walks of life. The S.O.

and P.D. Joint Honor Guard was also part of the ceremony. Sheriff Keith McBrayer took part in the ceremony as one of the esteemed speakers. He spoke of Police Week and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Of how over 20,000 names of fallen comrades have been “permanently carved” on those marble walls.

One such name comes from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office itself. Marvin Jerome Scarlett—End of Watch: May 20, 2007. When Deputy Scarlett passed, his son Johnny was only 16. But because of how Marvin lived, Johnny has become a husband, father, he joined the Sheriff’s Office, became a Deputy Sheriff and has recently been promoted to Sergeant. Sheriff McBrayer stated that Johnny was “a legacy and he continues to keep the great tradition alive for his father.”

To help people better understand the meaning of the loss suffered by the law enforcement community when an officer is killed in the line of duty, the Sheriff used a simple quote by Vivian Eney Cross, the spouse of an officer whose name is memorialized on the Wall in D.C.; “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived.”

In closing, Sheriff McBrayer reminded every one that even though they might not fully comprehend the loss of a loved one taken in the line of duty, that he could assure family members of the fallen that they too

feel a great loss because not only do they know how they died but also, and more importantly, how they lived.

You can search the web for Peace Officer Memorial Day, National Police Week and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. for more information.

Sheriff McBrayer Honors Fallen During Police Week Memorial Service