The Dermyer family hangs a rose on a wreath to remember their son, Chad P. Dermyer. A Virginia State Trooper, he died in the line of duty in March 2016.
Twelve blue roses hang on the wreath... Each represents an officer lost.
"To hear their names read. It's still very surreal," Scott Goings, a Jackson Police Officer said.
Goings was Chad Dermyer's best friend since they were kids. Dermyer was on officer in Jackson for a couple years, that's where he met Tom Tinklepaugh.
"Chad was infectious,” Tinklepaugh said. “He had such a drive for life and was a joy to work with. He made you be better. Because he was better and you wanted to try to keep up. It was a competitive, but a good drive that he had and chad's very much missed."
Wayne State University Police Officer Chris Powell understands how Goings and Tinklepaugh feel. He lost his best friend, Sergeant Collin Rose. He says this vigil helps the officers and the families heal.
“It's important for us,” Powell said. “For me it's a way to think back on the good times that we had."
Officers from across the state came to pay respects. Branch County. Kalamazoo. Detroit.
Even though these officers may come from completely different places across the state, they all share that same bond. They're here to share their loved ones' memories. Because all police officers face the same danger.
"When we tell our wives and our children goodbye, we love them... That may be the last time that we tell them that. That we see them," Tinklepaugh said.
"It's important to never forget,” Denise Scarbrough with Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors said. “It's important to say their names. It's important to remember them."
