FC memorial service honors fallen law enforcement officers

Franklin County law enforcement officers, public officials and residents gathered at the flagpole in front of the courthouse on Wednesday, May 18 for prayers and a formal wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate “National Police Week” locally.

Sheriff Tom Tindle said the somber Meadville event coincided with similar ceremonies held across Mississippi and elsewhere throughout the country as a way of honoring those who died in the line of duty or were part of the law enforcement community but had died in circumstances that were not connected with their job.

“This is our way of saying none of these individuals have been forgotten nor will they be as long as there are people who gather in events like this to honor their memories,” Tindle said. “We are thankful for their service and dedication to the public and offer our love to their families as a way of showing they will forever be part of who we are.”

Elmo P. “Bubba” Gabbert, who serves as a chaplain to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, said there is no greater burden than to lose a friend who is a fellow law enforcement officer, as many present for last week’s program could attest.

“Today, we are here to remember 97 men, 10 women and eight K-9 officers that have died thus far in 2022 across the United States,” Gabbert said. “We are also here today to remember the law enforcement officers that served the Franklin County community, having lost officers here through the years.”

Among those Gabbert publicly recognized as having been killed by gunfire while in performance of their duties in the county included:

• Deputy Constable Hillard Hall, who died Monday, Jan. 1, 1940.

• Sheriff’s Deputy Kirby Shell, who died Sunday, Dec. 17, 1978.

• Sheriff James Posey, who died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1982.

• Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper George Danny Nash Jr., who died Friday, Feb. 4, 1983.

Additionally, Gabbert paid tribute to another local officer, while not killed in the line of duty, as someone who was being remembered during the service because of the long-term impact he had on the local law enforcement community.

“Deputy Sheriff Russell Earl ‘Scooter’ Temple, died June 5, 1999, in an accident while he was employed here and is still greatly missed,” he continued.

“Let us reflect on all those names and remember them with gratitude not just today, but every day.”

Tindle noted Temple’s “F-3” call sign was retired under former Franklin County Sheriff James Newman and that was something he carried over into his administration.

“Scooter meant a lot to everyone in this department and it only seemed appropriate to keep his designation retired and that’s the way it will be,” Tindle added.

“We wanted to make sure his name was placed alongside those who died as part of the law enforcement family over the years in keeping his memory with us.”

Pastor Will Lott of Bude Church of God opened the service with prayer and asked God to lift up those who uphold the law and for the tasks officers face during their duties.

“We pray for a special blessing in their comings and goings and all they place their hands to do, and that God would provide them with wisdom, knowledge and understanding,” Lott said.

“Our prayer is God would speak to and through them as they assess situations, circumstances and whatever they might come upon for He knows the trials they face, and give them what they need.”

Pastor Rickey O’Quinn, who also serves as a Franklin County Justice Court judge, prayed to conclude Wednesday’s gathering after Tindle placed a wreath at the base of the courthouse flagpole fronting Main Street.

“We are thankful for all of our officers who are serving their towns, their counties, their states and the nation and we pause to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for others and this cause,” he said.

“We pray for their families and that God will continually be with them. Our hearts are thankful for the men and women for all they have done and are doing for the betterment of society. We ask God to bless them in every area of their lives and protect them in allowing His guardian angles to camp around them and keep them from all hurt, harm and danger.”

O’Quinn also used the opportunity to pray for the community and sought God to provide a law-abiding spirit among residents.

Among the agencies represented during the program were the FCSD, Franklin County’s constables, Meadville Police Department, Bude Police Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.