by KREM.com
KREM.com
Posted on December 7, 2009 at 3:26 PM
Updated
Monday, Dec 7 at 6:20 PM
SPOKANE--
Law enforcement officers from across the region are heading to the memorial for the four murdered Lakewood police officers.
Every commander and chief who spoke to KREM 2 News Monday said they were flooded with requests from officers who wanted to go to the memorial and some of those requests had to be denied.
Monday morning, officers with Spokane police and fire, the Sheriff’s Office, Chewelah, and Cheney PD all met north of the Public Safety Building to drive across the state together.
A Cheney commander says six officers and a dispatcher are going from his department alone; that’s about 40% of his department.
Most were already scheduled to be off for the next few days, but some officers will have to cover a few shifts.
Commander Campbell says a lot of his officers wanted to be a part of the memorial service for Seattle police officer Tim Brenton who was gunned down in his patrol car on Halloween, but the department was hit hard by the flu, so everyone was held back.
More than 20,000 law enforcement personnel are expected to be at the ceremony Tuesday at the Tacoma Dome.
There is also a caravan of police officers from across North Idaho on their way to Western Washington.
One of the officers who died, Tina Griswold, has family in North Idaho.
But even if there was no physical connection between the attack and area law enforcement, they say there is still the bond of police brotherhood.
Sergeant Andy Boyle of Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department says four of our brothers got shot and killed in a tragic event.
We’re going to go over there and honor their families, support their families.”
Kootenai County, Bonner County, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, and Idaho State Police all have representatives going.
Eight Honor Guard members from the Coeur d’Alene police department expect to take part in Tuesday’s memorial procession.
Law enforcement is a tight-knit community and at least one Coeur d’Alene officer trained with one of the Lakewood victims.
