JACKSON, Mich — Twelve. The number of Jackson County officers, deputies, and troopers who have died in the line of duty over time. "I think of all of them," says Chief of Police Christopher Simpson. "I certainly think of James Bonneau, because I was in the Honor Guard. I carried him. I saw his dad here today. It strikes me to go back to when that happened, that night, and I think of him often."
- Video shows the Jackson Law Enforcement Memorial on Wednesday.
- At the event, 12 names of fallen Jackson officers, deputies, and troopers were honored in the Roll Call of Heroes.
- One of those names was Trooper Chad Dermyer, whose watch ended in March of 2016. His sister Lauree attended in his honor. WATCH.
Each was remembered and honored at the annual Jackson Law Enforcement Memorial on Wednesday. "It is important, not just for the programming that's going on, but more or less the Roll Call of Heroes," says Simpson. Names, like Officer Bonneau's, are recognized as heroes, as each one is called, and a flower is placed by a loved one.
"I also think of the other law enforcement officials I worked with before. Chad Dermyer lived in my subdivision. We went back and forth, Army vs. Marines," recalls Simpson. "Manny Fields, Nixon... I was a young boy, but I still remember them."
One of those names, Chad Dermyer, is still hard to hear for his sister, Lauree. "Nine years later, and it's still hard to come," she says. Trooper Chad Dermyer's end of watch was in March of 2016. "When I was walking up there, and his name was the last name called, what got me emotional was (that) I hope nobody else's name gets added to the list. It brought back the emotion of losing him," she shares.
Roll Call of Heroes
- Sgt. Frederick Booth (March 1906)
- Capt. John Holtzapfel (February 1907)
- Undersheriff Harry Worden (July 1920)
- Officer Leonard Carey (December 1930)
- Deputy Fred Reilly (June 1954)
- Lt. William James Nixon (April 1978)
- Trooper Tony Thames (June 1983)
- Officer Niles Johantgen (December 1991)
- Trooper Manuel Fields (August 1994)
- Officer James Bonneau (March 2010)
- Trooper Chad Wolf (August 2015)
- Trooper Chad Dermyer (March 2016)
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