An Officer remembered…

This is a letter that was submitted to a local small-town newspaper. It was rejected for publication as of this date. The editor citing an unusual “new” policy as to why it could not be published. Suffice to say, the media is not a friend to Law Enforcement. As someone who remembers that awful day, we will remember and honor Deputy Michael Shannon, E.O.W. March 7, 2003.

This coming week will mark 7 years since the death of Deputy Michael Shannon. And whether it’s been 2, 7 or 20 years, the death of any officer should be felt as a great loss to us. In the years since his passing, I’ve talked with a number of people who remembering hearing about that day. They express sadness that a young man was killed and, they too, find it hard to understand what would motivate someone to take the life of a police officer.

The following is an edited tribute I wrote a couple of years ago about Deputy Shannon. It is my thoughts on losing a man who gave his life to protect me and other citizens of our county…

I’ve been busy this week, preparing for things and thinking about March 7th. It is the day Deputy Shannon was murdered. I didn’t know him personally. I didn’t know the police in our county very well at that time. Like most people, I barely knew anything about the police at all. I was never one to notice them on the highway or notice them anywhere else either.

All that changed on Friday morning, March 7th, 2003. Deputy Shannon was murdered responding to a call of a man with a gun. He was in court that morning and wasn’t scheduled to be on duty until later that afternoon but he took the call anyway. Most people in our small county have scanners and were listening as Deputy Shannon responded and to the events that happened afterwards. I knew about it too because a relative had a scanner and called to warn me that a man had a gun and he was in our area. I wasn’t too concerned at the time. The relative called back a few times to let me know what was happening. She said an officer had been shot and later called to tell me he died. I didn’t believe her because this was Adams County, officers don‘t get shot here, that only happens in big cities.  I called my husband because after a while I sensed that something was wrong and I wanted to check on him. He told me that it was true, that a deputy was killed. I still couldn’t believe it until he came home that afternoon.

At first we heard Deputy Shannon had a wife and 2 kids and then later found out that wasn’t true. He has a brother that was, and still is, a deputy. I couldn’t believe that anyone would ever really shoot an officer. I determined that day that whatever we had to do, we were going to somehow show our support for the Sheriff’s Department. We found out later, in our county’s paper, what kind of person Deputy Shannon was because they devoted several pages in the paper to him. Friends and co-workers wrote letters to the paper and submitted pictures as a tribute to him. He loved to hunt and fish. He loved snowmobiling, NASCAR racing and the Green Bay Packers. He was considered bashful but he took an interest in people. He was helping a young man with a criminal record trying to straighten himself out. Deputy Shannon was a mentor to him. This young man came to the funeral and wept at the loss of someone who had been a friend to him. Deputy Shannon was also a friend to those who were mentally disabled and took time to show an interest in them too. He helped an elderly couple that had been in an accident. He took them home in his squad car and put away their groceries for them. He also insisted they go to the hospital but wasn’t able to talk them into it. They never forgot his kindness.

I’m so sorry I never got to know him. I wish I had paid more attention to the police. I can’t undo what happened but I can make sure we never forget what happened that day. I can speak up and show my support for Law Enforcement. I now know a little bit more about the people that serve our county as Law Enforcement Officers. They are sincere, devoted individuals worthy of our support and prayers. Take the time to get to know the officers within our county.

We will never forget March 7th, 2003 nor will we forget Deputy Michael Shannon. May God bless our officers and keep them safe.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/16551-deputy-sheriff-michael-eron-shannon