Officer Down Memorial Page

Many years ago I was a student at the University of Michigan, and I became friends with a girl named Nicole. I already wanted to join the State Police in New Jersey, a fact that all my friends knew.

One day, Nicole and I were talking about our future careers. She wanted to be a doctor. When I commented again on my plans to go into law enforcement, her eyes filled with tears. She told me the story of her father, Officer Johnson, who was killed in the line of duty in East Lansing. She grabbed the front of my shirt and said to me, "Don't you dare get killed. Don't you dare."

After graduation Nicole and I stayed in touch for a year or so - she was dating a close friend of mine - and then we drifted apart, as often happens. I haven't talked to her in over a decade, but when things get squirrely at work, I remember the promise I made to her.

RIP, Officer Johnson. You are not forgotten.

Detective II
New Jersey State Police
July 20, 2011

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