Street naming ceremony held this Friday to honor Parma's 1st black police officer

PARMA, Ohio — Some exciting changes are coming to Parma to honor the city’s first black police officer.

“I’d like to thank the city of Parma for even giving my brother this street named after him,” said Sgt. Nicholas Hunter III’s brother, Christian Hunter.

On Friday, a dedication ceremony will take place just outside the Parma Police Department at 11 a.m. to honor the late Sgt. Nicholas Hunter III by naming a throughway between Regency Drive and the station after him as ‘Nick Hunter Way.’

The street sign will be illuminated, and there will also be a stone at the bottom to tell the community about Nicholas.

“He opened up the doors so people can see well, he did it. I can do it,” said Christian.

News 5 told you about the family’s efforts to propose a street named after Nicholas in December 2023.

RELATED: The late Nicholas M. Hunter III was Parma's first Black officer; his family hopes the city will honor him

The family said they wanted a lasting reminder of Nicholas' contributions to the community, especially following his death in September 2022, when his brother, Christian, said he died from a heart attack while driving to work.

RELATED: Parma Police Department mourns death of Sgt. Nicholas M. Hunter after medical emergency

Now, the family said they’re thankful their wish has finally been granted after years of advocating for Hunter’s name to be remembered.

“My sister-in-law Dayna Williams Hunter advocated to get this done,” said Christian. “She saw what he had to endure.”

Nicholas' sister, Nichelle, said she hopes this tribute will inspire others.

“If you want to do something and you’re passionate about doing something, you can do it [no] matter who you are,” said Nichelle.

The family even hopes it will speak to who Nicholas was to his family, friends, community and those like Parma Police Department Public Information Officer Scott Traxler who worked with him.

“He treated you like you were there for 15 years from day one. He never pulled rank, his door was always open, and he's just a fantastic man to talk to,” said Traxler.

Traxler encouraged people who want to attend to park at the PSE Credit Union right across the street from the police station.

For more information on the event, click here.