Today is the Police Officer Memorial Parade. Greg went, in full dress uniform, to represent his department as a member of the Honor Guard, and to honor those brave men and women killed in the line of duty. This year will likely be particularly memorable, as it was 1 year ago this month, that Greg's friend, and fellow police officer, Jason West, was killed in the line of duty. He will be memorialized at the services.
I will never forget the moment that phone call came and the look on Greg's face. Despite the fact that he had just finished a particularly long shift, he rushed down to the hospital to wait, with dozens of other officers, friends and family. His voice broke when he called a short time later and said, "Jason didn't make it."
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Officer Jason West
Cleveland Heights Police Department
Ohio
End of Watch: Saturday, May 26, 2007
Biographical Info
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: 332
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Friday, May 25, 2007
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: In custody
Officer West was shot and killed at a disturbance.
Officer West responded to a disturbance call on Altamont Avenue, near South Taylor Road. A fight over a woman had broken out at a large party at the location. Police dispatchers assigned three cruisers to the disturbance. Officer West pulled down Altamont Avenue going east, followed by another cruiser.
A third cruiser pulled down Altamont Avenue, traveling west. The suspect was in a car parked on Altamont, facing westbound. As Officer West approached in his cruiser, the suspect backed his car into the driveway. Officer West pulled his cruiser in front of the car, blocking it. When Officer West stepped out of his cruiser, the suspect opened fire at him from inside the parked car. The suspect then exited the car and continued to shoot Officer West at close range, striking him in the leg and face.
The suspect fled north to Beechwood Avenue and ditched his gun in a neighboring driveway before breaking into a woman's house. The woman fled the house and was not harmed. Officers found the suspect hiding on the second floor and took him into custody.
Officer West was transported to Huron Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.
Four years prior to this incident the suspect had told his family that he wanted to kill a police officer. He then went out and threw a brick at a police cruiser and assaulted an officer. He was later convicted of that crime and sentenced to probation.
Officer West had served with the Cleveland Heights Police Department for seven years. He is survived by his parents and sister.
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MAY 2007:
“O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave,
‘Ore the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
The wind was extremely strong in Cleveland Heights today.
And, has been my routine almost every day in the nearly two weeks since Jason died; I’ve watched the flag in fascination.
From the elliptical machine at Bally’s, my view of City Hall is unobstructed. Across the parking lot, just above the tips of the leafy treetops, I see it – stars and stripes flying proud – at half-mast.
Officer Jason West was gunned down in the line of duty while responding to a call just after 10pm on Friday, May 25th. It’s likely, and sadly fortunate, that Jason never even knew what him. Several bullets, fired from close range, hit him multiple times in the face and leg as he exited his police cruiser. With his gun still secured in its holster, Jason was likely dead before he even hit the ground.
Symbolic in so many ways, Old Glory seemed to be particularly struggling today. She tried to stay tall and straight, despite the elements whipping against her. As I watched a CHPD cruiser pull into the station, I couldn’t help but reflect on how Jason’s family, friends and fellow officers have struggled these past two weeks.
As the wife of an officer who was close friends with Jason, I’ve experienced the impact of these senseless events first-hand.
As I’ve attended memorial services, candlelight vigils and the funeral, my thoughts have been both profound and strangely random.
Would Jason have CAVS fever – now that Cleveland won the Eastern Conference? After all, the CAVs are playing in the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history.
What songs would Greg want sung at his funeral, should that horrible day ever arrive? We better be prepared.
If the news cameras catch me in the crowd, will the tear-stains down my face be obvious?
The kids need to attend the candlelight vigil so they can have some comprehension of why we keep talking about daddy’s friend who died.
While I have stopped planning Greg’s funeral on a daily basis, the reality continues to set in.
The news has already stopped running stories about a Fallen Hero. Eventually, the flowers will fade and the beautiful spring blossoms, marred by this tragedy, will eventually turn to cold, gray snowflakes.
Eventually, even the flag outside City Hall will be returned to its full height.
Will we forget? How can we possibly forget? Or perhaps more importantly, how will we continue to remember?
Just as the flag, representative of so much, persevered against the wind, we will remember.
We are forever changed.
Jason’s sacrifice will not be in vain.
“O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave,
‘Ore the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
