LONDON, Ohio — Dozens of law enforcement agencies gathered to honor and memorialize Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek and four others killed in the line of duty in 2021.
Bartek was shot and killed in an attempted carjacking on New Year's Eve. He began his service with the CPD in 2019 and was assigned to the 5th District, working patrol.
"They really do take you in as a family and are there for you, so you're never really alone," Summer Bartek, the officer's twin sister, said. "It really is like a second family."
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost gave an emotional speech about the impact that law enforcement has had on the community, and in the 34th annual Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony, families got a chance to see an entire day dedicated to them and their lost loved ones.
"It's amazing to see the impact that he and the other officers obviously made and just to get the dignity and respect that they deserve for just everything that they've done in their life," she said.
She, along with her family and Cleveland police, got to see his name carved into the Memorial wall.
"They are remembered in stone because they — and those who continue their work — are the foundation of our society," Yost said.
The attorney general got teary-eyed while talking about the lost lives of the 814 total Ohio peace officers lost in the line of duty since 1823.
"I want to say to the families of those we honor today: your sacrifice and your pain can’t be measured. It can’t be repaid. There is a hole in your family that will never be filled," Yost said. "But I hope you will remember this: when you see children walking safely to school or playing in a park, when you see families lining up to watch a parade or cheering at a school athletic event, when you travel down peaceful streets and see your neighbors going to work or church or to the grocery store in safety and security — remember that your loved one made that possible."
"Your loved one is the foundation stone on which that peace and security are built and that is why your loved one’s name is here, carved in stone for all time."
His name being carved in stone is really impactful for Summer, she said.
"It's forever — so, when I have kids, I'll be able to come back here and show them their uncle," she said. "I always have this to come back to, to kind of, like, be a part of him."
She said she is going through the process of healing, but wants to make sure she keeps a positive attitude, because after all.
"We say that's the Bartek way."
The motorcade is arriving at the 2022 Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony.
— Morgan Trau (@MorganTrau) May 5, 2022
The ceremony pays tribute to five peace officers who died in 2021, including Shane Bartek, a Cleveland police officer.
He was off-duty when killed in a carjacking attempt on New Year’s Eve. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/2uZ0X9O8v6
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