Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

My deepest simpathy to the family, friends and coworkers of Officer Owens. I pray God will bless you with the peace, grace and mercy that only He can provide and help you during this very tragic time.

Officer Owens, rest in peace. Like all the officers gone with you and before you, you are a hero and we will never forget.

"Well done, good and faithful servant!... Come and share your master's happiness." MATTHEW 25:21

Rosa Waters
Mother of Michael Waters
EOW: September 11, 2003

June 18, 2004

To the family, friends, & fellow co-workers of Officer Carlos Owens my family would like to extend our deepest sympathies to all of you. We know the pain you're suffering during this difficult time is a tremedous one. May God watch over and protect all the brave men & women in law enforcement serving their communities. God Bless.

Gail M Pabst
Aunt of fallen Detroit P.O. Jennifer Fettig eow 2-16-04

June 18, 2004

God Speed brother. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Deputy Sheriff
Rockwall County Sheriff's Office, Rockwall Texas

June 18, 2004

Rest in Peace brave brother.

Provincial Constable Cole
Ontario Provincial Police-Ontario, Canada

June 18, 2004

God Bless You Officer Owens. My Prayers are sent to your family, friends, and Agency during this Tragedy.

SAFELY HOME

I AM HOME IN HEAVEN, DEAR ONES;
OH, SO HAPPY AND SO BRIGHT!
THERE IS PERFECT JOY AND BEAUTY
IN THE EVERLASTING LIGHT.

ALL THE PAIN AND GRIEF IS OVER,
EVERY RESTLESS TOSSING PASSED;
I AM NOW AT PEACE FOREVER,
SAFELY HOME IN HEAVEN AT LAST.

DID YOU WONDER I SO CALMLY
TROD THE VALLEY OF THE SHADE?
OH! BUT JESUS LOVE ILLUMINED
EVERY DARK AND FEARFUL GLADE.

AND HE CAME HIMSELF TO MEET ME
IN THAT WAY SO HARD TO TREAD;
AND WITH JESUS ARM TO LEAB ON,
COULD i HAVE ONE DOUBT OR DREAD?

THEN YOU MUST GRIEVE SO SORELY,
FOR I LOVE YOU DEARLY STILL:
TRY TO LOOK BEYOND EARTH'S SHADOWS,
PRAY TO TRUST OUR FATHER'S WILL.

THERE IS WORK STILL WAITING FOR YOU,
SO YOU MUST NOT IDLY STAND;
DO IT NOW, WHILE LIFE REMAINETH-
YOU SHALL REST IN JESUS' LAND.

WHEN THAT WORK IS ALL COMPLETED,
HE WILL GENTLY CALL YOU HOME;
OH, THE RAPTURE OF THAT MEETING,
OH THE JOY TO SEE YOU COME!

-PA Resident-

Tonya Stephenson
Delaware County Private Citizen, PA

June 18, 2004

"Someone only dies when they are forgotten,
You will live on in our hearts forever,
Although you are far away,
In our thoughts you are very near."
Author: Steph Adams

Rest in Peace... never forgotten

Wife of CMPD Officer, Charlotte, NC

June 18, 2004

Officer Owens,

You are a true hero along with your other fallen brothers, you have paid the ultimate price, Rest in Peace my Brother....To your family, I will continue to pray for you. I would also like to let my brothers & sisters of the Birmingham Police Department know we are feeling the pain too. My Brothers GODSPEED....

Officer
NC

June 18, 2004

To the family and friends of Officer Owens and to the BPD members, may God bless you and be with you in this time of sorrow. America lost another hero today; you are now 10-42 go walk a beat on Heaven's streets, you've done your time here, you are a blue angel, R.I.P. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. God Speed Brother

Diane Dodge
Polk County Sheriff's Office, Bartow, FL

June 18, 2004

My prayers and deepest condolences are with your Department, and especially with the friends and family of your fallen friends. GOD BLESS these HEROS.
Stay strong, stay focused, and make SURE that Officer's Carlos Owens, Charles Bennett and Harley Chisholm III wll never be forgotten.

Invest. Mike Bradford-Ret
Tallahassee Police Dept.

June 18, 2004

You served us well.

Your family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers. God keep them in the palm of His hand.

A citizen of Birmingham

June 18, 2004

Rest In Peace Brother.
I prayed for you and your family.
You served with valor and honor.
You and you're partners were true heros.

-Kevin

kevin
dhs

June 18, 2004

God Speed, Brother.

P.O. K.Murphy
Union PD, NJ

June 18, 2004

GodSpeed

Arden NC

June 18, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God Bless

Rich
Chicago P.D.

June 18, 2004

“When God made Peace Officers….”

When the lord was creating Peace Officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, Have you read the spec on this order? A Peace Officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn’t touch, and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next day.

They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half- eaten meals. And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands….No Way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me the problems,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have.”

That’s on the standard model? asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, “May I see what’s in there sir?” (When they already know and wishes they had taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of their head for their partners’ safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, “ You’ll be alright ma’am, when they know it isn’t so.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve,” rest and work tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on civil service paycheck.”

The angel circled the model of the Peace Officer very slowly, “Can it think?” she asked.

“You bet,” said the Lord, “It can tell you elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in it’s sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five judges to debate the legality of the stop…and still it keeps it’s sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with crime scenes painted in HELL, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim’s family’ and then read in the daily paper how Law Enforcement isn’t sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Peace Officer. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.”

“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

“What’s the tear for?” asked the angel.

“It’s for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag, and for justice.”

“You’re a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked sober. “I didn’t put it there,” he said.


Anonymous

Senior Instructor
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

June 18, 2004

Curly, you made alot of people laugh and smile. You have been a officer for the City of Birmingham for a long,long time and have served us all so very proud. Rest easy now my friend and watch over us. You are a true HERO.

K-9 Sgt. Scott Baggett
Harpersville Police Department, AL

June 18, 2004

God Bless Officer Owens

God Bless the Birmingham Police Department.

Trooper
New Jersey State Police

June 18, 2004

The policeman stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No lord, I guess I ain't,
Because those of us who carry a badge
can't always be a saint."

I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
Because the streets are awfully tough.

But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
For the judgement of his god.

"Step forward now, policeman,
You've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in hell

GREGG HOUSTON
SOUTH CAROLINA

June 18, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with Officer Owens,his family and the BPD.Rest in peace brother.

Texas Peace Officer
University of Houston Downtown Law Enforcement Academy Class 89

June 18, 2004

My heart and prayers are with the family, friends and coworkers of Officer Owens. Such a terrible tragedy for all the families and department of these fine officers. May God be with you all.

Deb Azure
Mother of Deputy Renee D. Azure
EOW 08/06/02

June 18, 2004

Please remember the fallen officers we have lost. Remember the men and women who died trying to make this world a safer and better place for us all to live in. Thank you Officer Owens for a job well done. Please continue to watch over us and protect us as only you can. You will forever be at our side and in our hearts.

For those of you who still have loved ones with us please take the time to tell them how much you appreciate and care about them.

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

June 18, 2004

My sincerest sympathy to the Birmingham Police Deppartment, the families of each of the officers slain, and the citizens of Birmingham. You have suffered a tremendous loss this day and I am sending my heartfelt prayers in hopes of giving each of you a more of solace in this dark day of history. No city, department, or police family should be subjected to this kind of grief but you should know that you have alot of people from all over the world praying for your recovery and healing. God bless the law enforcement officer for he/she is the instrument of the Lord. Let them never walk alone.

Retired Ofcr LaVerne Sanborn
Indianapolis Police Dept

June 18, 2004

My condolences to Officer Owen's family and the BPD. Your sacrifices will not be forgotten.

Deputy Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.

June 18, 2004

May we all unite at a time like this and remember OUR call to duty. This Officer gave, what those of us reading, have not, the ultimate sacrifice. My thoughts are with the family and friends of this Hero. You will never be forgotten

POLICE OFFICER

June 18, 2004

I will never forget when I was a Magistrate at the City and put out a call for help. You were one of the first to come to my assistance #1770. I haven't forgotten nor will I ever forget you.
(Rest In Peace My Friend)

Magistrate Arthur Shores Lee
Jefferson County Alabama Magistrate

June 18, 2004