Mason — Protecting and serving a community can be a deadly task.
More than 70 police officers gathered for prayers, poems and a 21-gun salute at the Ingham County Sheriff's Office on Friday in honor of nine police officers killed in the line of duty.
Families, friends and co-workers wiped away tears as nine flowers, representing the fallen officers, were placed into a wreath resting between two rows of saluting police officers.
Following the ceremony, a training facility at the office was dedicated to Sgt. Paul Cole, who died in 1996 while working for the county.
"Rooms and other reminders will not bring Paul Cole back," Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth said. "But they will serve as a reminder of his service to our state and the great sacrifice he made to keep us all safe."
Cole died while responding to a call when he swerved to avoid a herd of deer, lost control and ran into a tree — instantly killing him.
He leaves three children, Paul, Andrew and Heather, behind. The three unveiled a plaque that hangs on the back wall of the room that now bears his name. It reads that Cole, a 19-year veteran of the office, was known for his "friendliness, courtesy, warmth and desire to be of help of others."
Cole also leaves behind his wife, Kathy, who now works as an assistant to Wriggelsworth.
"This department does a great job of remembering fallen officers and their families," Kathy Cole said. "Dedicating this room and hanging these pictures lets other officers know that if they lost a co-worker the department would remember them."
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who attended and spoke at the event, said he would never forget the day when Cole came to his rescue.
Bernero crashed his car during a winter storm in January 1991 on his way to his first meeting as Ingham County commissioner.
"My car was smashed, and I was worried about missing my first meeting," he said.
Cole arrived at the scene of the accident. Bernero had driven his car off a highway exit in Mason and into a ravine.
"Paul put everything in perspective, got help to the area and got me to the meeting," Bernero said.
The Lansing Police Department hosted the event and five of the nine officers who were remembered worked in that department.
When Lansing Officer Julie Englehardt was killed in 1988, Lansing police Chief Mark Alley was one of the first people to arrive at the scene.
"When you lose an officer in the line of duty, especially when it happens close to home, it really resonates," he said. "Tributes like (Friday's) help us deal with the tragedy of losing an officer that we knew and gives us a chance to remember."
