Together, they gathered at Upper Edgewater Park Tuesday afternoon to express by their presence the hurt they individually and collectively feel over the death of Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin and take part in a walk in his honor.
"For someone so young to die so suddenly, it's a tragedy," said Christina Miller.
"And the fact that it was, this is the beginning of Police Memorial week adds just an extra added layer," said Tara Preston.
They didn't know the 23-year-old Euclid police officer who was killed in the line of duty Saturday night. Only a few here did, but be sure all here were touched by him. His death left a void not only in the Northeast Ohio community as a whole but across the fraternity of those who serve and protect.
That's why the Cleveland Firefighters Union, IAFF Local 93, joined with the group "Carry the Load" to dedicate this walk in Derbin's honor.
"In our community, we know each other's families, we know the kids," said Cleveland Firefighters Union President Jake Konys. "It's just like having a really a brother or a sister pass away, and your heart goes out for them."
Rose Schardt is a Cleveland Paramedic who was on duty Saturday and at the hospital when they brought Officer Durbin in. She's here for him and the Euclid first responders.
"I felt for the crew like I just can't imagine working on my own co-worker, watching his family walk in, just already knowing what was going on was just tragic," she said.
They joined in solidarity to walk nearly five miles from Upper Edgewater to the Cleveland Fire Memorial outside Browns Stadium. The signs and flags they carried were light compared to the heaviness of their hearts. Leading the way were two Euclid police officers who were touched by the outpouring of community love and support over the past few days.
"You know, a lot of times as a police officer, you don't know how appreciated you are because, you know we get to see people at the worst of times, we're not there for a lot of the good things that happen," said Euclid Detective Steve Shubert. "When the police are called to a situation it's usually something bad. And when you actually get to see what's in people's hearts that are out there right now and they want to give to help the family or anything for support, it's nice to be able to see that."
In the first responder community, the loss of one is felt by all; the thin blue line in Euclid may be thinner, but it is a department that will be supported going forward by those who put on the uniforms everywhere and the people they serve.
RELATED: 'Carry The Load': Actively honoring the sacrifices of our nation's heroes
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