WADESBORO — Coming together to honor the heroic fallen in downtown Wadesboro’s historic courthouse, law enforcement officials held a memorial service in recognition of their comrades who have passed away. Also remembered during the service was the tragic loss of life suffered by the law enforcement community when police attempted to arrest a wanted man on April 29 in Charlotte.
The incident forever scarring the Piedmont region, Joshua Eyer of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and three members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force, Tommy Weeks, Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, lost their lives in the line duty on that fateful day.
“In preparation for today, I did some research and discovered 136 officers, and in my opinion 136 is too many, passed away in 2023. So far in 2024 there have been 58, with five of those deaths occurring in North Carolina, four of them to gunfire in Charlotte,” declared Chief Brandon Chewning of the Wadesboro Police Department.
His words rolling from the wellspring of the heart, Chewning stated, “As I look around this room I see a lot of different badges and uniforms. I don’t care what color uniform you have on, blue, green, or gray, I don’t care if you wear a star, badge, or shield, it does not matter to me. We are all brothers and sisters in law enforcement.”
Acknowledging that law enforcement is a tough career that is chosen by only a select few, Chewning added, “There are few who have it. But if you do, it’s there and there is nothing that you can do about it.”
In a poignant moment, Sheriff Scott Howell shared a memory he had from his early law enforcement days. Back in the eighties, a local police department had a rash of officers wrecking their patrol cars. Artfully demonstrating reality through humor, Howell recalled a cartoon that appeared in the Charlotte Observer of two men standing on a street corner when a police car comes flying past them.
Howell remembered, “One guy said to the other guy, ‘Man, he’s going way too fast.’ The first man responds, ‘I hope he’s going that fast when he’s headed to my house.”
Recognizing that no actions taken or words spoken will ever be enough to honor the brave men and women who sacrificed everything for the safety of a stranger, Howell advised the sea of brave men and women facing him to, “Support each other.”
Many officers were honored during the ceremony, with a brief description of their service provided.
Dating back to January 16, 1926, Mattie George Faulkner, Constable of the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, lost his life after only eighteen months of service. Faulkner left behind his wife and seven devastated children.
Highway Patrolman George I. Thompson, was sworn in just two days before the motorcycle accident that would claim his life in the line of duty. Thompson left behind his shattered parents.
Selby Harney, Sr. of the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, ended his watch on August 31, 1973. In a tough decade for the Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sheriff Gilbert Dean’s watch ended on February 12, 1977.
Just days before Christmas, William Kress Horne, an Anson County Sheriff’s Deputy, lost his life on December 23, 1984 after three years of service. Horne left behind his wife and son.
On September 14, 2001 the Anson County Sheriff’s Office lost six-year service member Jesse Lee Pratt to an automobile accident that occurred while he was on duty. Pratt left behind his wife and two sons.
Trooper Joseph Wynford “Josh” Oliver ended his watch on March 24, 2004. He left behind his wife and child.
Truly a “Sheriff of the People,” Sheriff Landric Reid departed from this life on September 21, 2021. He left behind many grieving family members and a community that felt like family due to Reid’s easy ability to show God’s love to all. Reid’s legacy is the sentiment he so often exemplified, “You got to stand for something or you will fall for anything.”
While many contributed to the event, Chief Chewning issued a special thank you to service organizers Lt. Ephraim Davis of the Wadesboro Police Department and Captain Josh Beam of the Anson County Sheriff’s Office. Clerk of Court Mark Hammonds also spoke at the Anson County Fallen Officers Memorial Service. Deep Creek Baptist Church Pastor Mark Perko opened and closed the service in prayer.
