by Divya Kumar
News Editor
This Friday, December 4th, a dedication ceremony for the newly built Fallen Officer Memorial will be held, beginning at 10 AM. This ceremony is in honor of those fallen officers in the city of Coppell as well as to dedicate the opening of the new memorial.
The memorial, located in front of Coppell Justice Center in the middle of the city, was commissioned in July of 2008. The idea for it began when officers in the Coppell Police Department requested its approval and gathered $16,000 for its construction. Over $10,000 of these funds was raised through an earlier fundraiser—the police motorcycle competition—held in April of this year. Along with this, the drug seizure fund provided for the rest of the budget.
The memorial was built in order to honor fallen officers serving for the city of Coppell. Two of the honored cops are Officer Donald Swearingin, who died Dec. 12, 1972 in a car crash while pursuing a speeder at the age of 20, and Officer Mike Johns who died Dec. 28, 2001 in a motorcycle crash while similarly following a car after 10 years of devoted service to the city of Coppell. These two officers will be remembered during the ceremony.
The ceremony is open to all media and citizens who wish to view the beginnings of the center in Coppell. As the city’s history grows, more fallen cops will most likely be honored in the memorial as well.
To learn more about the ceremony and the center, click here.
