A/N: I've never been to a Peace Officers Memorial Day observance before, so I'm basically writing here an excerpt of a Peace Officers Memorial ceremony from what information I do know about it from the internet, YouTube, educated guesses, and a non-fiction book I read called Stories of Faith and Courage From Cops on the Street.
There's some Christian content in this fan fiction, but I encourage you to read on, even if you're not a Christian. I think any cop-lover can get something out of this, because it's primarily about the role of the police officer in society.
Disclaimer: I do not own Police Quest; Jim Walls, Daryl F. Gates, and Sierra On-Line Inc. do. This particular Peace Officers Memorial shown here is not real, either; I made it up for the fictitious city of Lytton from the games.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation, which designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week.
And this particular day was, in fact, that very day, and many of the citizens of Lytton were gathered together to honor the police officers of that fair town. Police cruisers, motorcycles, and cops on foot were driving and marching down the street in parade style, while the people cheered them on.
The march went on for a while, until the time came for the ceremony in Lytton City Park, the largest and most open locale in Lytton. There, the Police Force of Lytton were gathered together along with their families and closest friends to honor both the officers who had died over the past year in service to the people of Lytton, and those who still lived and continued to serve with dedication and distinction.
Marie Bonds, fully recovered from her stab wounds at the hands of Michael Bains and the late Steve Rocklin, watched with pride and joy at the men and women who had made the city so much better for everybody to live in safely again, before the coming of the infamous Death Angel. Her greatest love of all went, as usual, to her husband, Officer Sonny Bonds, whom she could see standing tall and upright among the officers in uniform. She smiled and waved. Sonny couldn't wave back, but he gave her his own warm smile.
Long-standing Chief of Police Morton Whipplestick stepped to the podium set up in the middle of the ceremonial ground and began to address the crowd, going on about how the police were servants of the people who should be shown gratitude for putting their lives on the line so that the ordinary people can live safe and free lives of their own.
"It is my belief," the Chief said, "that, like in many other towns and cities, the police of Lytton are becoming more and more efficient in the enforcement of the United States laws, and it appears that our fair city is on the road to becoming a peaceful place to live again, with fewer worries about the constant drug dealings and attempted murders, not to mention the illegal gambling. Of course, it is evident that the city will never be one hundred percent free from crime, so we will always need our brave law enforcement officers to protect the fair streets and homes that all of you live on."
"Now," he continued, "in the past year, some of our officers, more specifically, five in total, have been killed, and four of them did so valiantly in the line of duty, though sadly, one other deceased policewoman was revealed to be corrupt and had to be killed when she made an attempt on the life of one of our most honored of all our active officers, Sonny Bonds." Here, Marie shed a tear of relief for Sonny, and one of sadness for said corrupt cop. "In addition, one other officer survived a violent situation, but was disabled to the point that he can no longer serve in the Lytton Police Force. I will now read off to you the names of these unfortunate but gallant officers."
"First, we all need to take time to remember Detective Lieutenant John Dooley, formerly Sergeant of the Traffic division, then promoted to Lieutenant of the Narcotics division after the retirement of Lieutenant James Morgan," he started. "Lt. Dooley was shot and killed in an incident involving two juvenile adolescents and a gambling match with a bag of cocaine as the stake. He went to investigate the incident with Detective Steve Jones as his partner when the juvenile delinquents panicked upon noticing the police approaching and gave foot bail. While Detective Jones was able to take down one suspect without any problem, Lt. Dooley chased the other. Suddenly, the suspect swiveled around and fired a pistol at him. The bullet hit his liver, but Dooley was still able to leap forward, taking the suspect by surprise, and arrest him. He got as far as getting the suspect to his unmarked patrol car before he suddenly passed out. Jones called an ambulance for him and took the suspects to jail, but at the hospital, Dooley succumbed to his wound and died."
"Now, I want you all to know that John Dooley was a highly underestimated police officer. In his later years as a law enforcement officer, he usually walked with a slight limp, like that of an old man. Many suspects mistook it for a physical handicap, but Dooley proved them wrong when he could outrun a suspect from a dead start and up two flights of stairs. I think he deserves recognition as an officer who remained strong even in his old age and was able to do better at taking down criminals than some younger officers have been able to do, though I mean no disrespect to said young officers when I say that."
The officers, including Sonny, bowed their heads and folded their hands. Some of them made the sign of the cross. Then, an old woman who was Dooley's widow stepped forward and dropped a rose on the memorial plaque, saying a tearful goodbye to her husband. Their son and daughter-in-law also stepped forward and did the same, bringing their grandchildren with them, who seemed to be saying, "Goodbye, grandpa. We love you."
After the farewells for Dooley were finished, Whipplestick proceeded to the next dead officer. "Second, I think we should all take time to remember Detective Kathy Rhodes, one of the department's best Vice Detectives. A highly spiritual officer with an unbreakable affinity for God and Jesus, Rhodes stopped numerous illegal gambling operations, played a part in an operation we called 'Operation Trick Trap' to break down on the prostitution ring in town," Here, Marie shuddered at the memory of that operation, "and confiscated hundreds of pieces of pornography from some of the more perverse citizens of Lytton. Sadly, her zeal as a Vice Detective determined to eradicate all vices from this city meant her death, when a prostitute named Janey Stiles resisted arrest. Ms. Stiles' pimp came out and attempted to beat Officer Rhodes. Rhodes knocked down the pimp with her self-defense skills she learned in the academy, proving that women can have more muscle than an unruly pimp sometimes, and cuffed him. But then Stiles kicked Rhodes with her high-heeled shoe, stabbing out Rhodes' left eye and crippling her skull. Rhodes' partner, Detective Jake Donaldson, quickly tackled Stiles and handcuffed her, too, but the damage had been done. Detective Rhodes was declared brain-dead within an hour. Her last words were that she gladly forgave Janey Stiles for her action, and hoped somebody could help her with her problems sometime."
Marie wept at hearing this. Janey had been a friend of hers while they walked the streets together, and now, a police officer was able to forgive her former friend for her murder while Marie herself couldn't even bring herself to talk to Janey anymore, and was ashamed of herself for it. She noticed Sonny offering her an encouraging smile, and Marie soon overcame her tears.
"Thirdly," said the Police Chief, "Let's all remember and honor Traffic Officer Calvin Haines. He still lives, but is now disabled and cannot serve and protect any longer. He was known for arresting a nude man high on PCP after the suspect stole and threw away his badge at Cotton Cove Park. Early this year, he was called back to Cotton Cove and found three kinky women having an orgy with each other in public. They were high on PCP, too. He informed them that such activity is illegal in public, but they attacked him, overcoming him in numbers. Two of the women held him while the third abusively beat his legs, breaking them in several places. His backup arrived, and held his gun on the women. One surrendered, but the other two tried to escape. Haines somehow got to his own gun and shot each fleeing lady once in one leg."
The crowd was astonished to hear this, especially considering that a public orgy was nothing to laugh about, but that was nothing compared to what Whipplestick said next. "The women wanted to know if they were shot in their legs as an act of revenge for them shattering his own legs. Haines calmly said, 'No, you weren't. I was simply doing my job as a servant of the people and a protector of the peace, and that meant I had to bring you down the best way I could without killing you. I don't seek revenge for criminals' abuse. And you need help more than I do, and not just because of those wounds.' Haines and the wounded suspects were then sent to Lytton Hospital to be healed while his backup took the woman who surrendered to jail. Haines' injuries were generally healed, but his legs would no longer work right for service in the Police Force, and so he had to make an early retirement. I hope you'll all agree that he did his best to be another one of our best cops."
Everyone observing the event applauded for Calvin Haines, and Sonny and the other officers sent him their thanks and best wishes.
Whipplestick hushed the applause after a few moments and proceeded to the next of the deceased. "Fourth, we here of the Lytton Police Department will always remember one of our most legendary officers, second only to Sonny Bonds: Officer Joe Walters. Officer Walters and Officer Bonds were nominated for 'Officer of the Year' less than two years ago, at about the time the Death Angel was trying to corrupt Lytton with his drugs and gambling. A genius and a gentleman, Walters was never transferred to any of the detective divisions, but as a Traffic Officer, he did better than even Bonds did at stopping traffic violations like speeding and jaywalking, arresting people who drink and drive, and quelling domestic and street fights all over town. He even stopped some prowlers, and arrested a man and a woman, both cross-dressers, for driving with high beams on perpetually and lying about their identities. However, on none other than January 1, this very year, immediately after celebrating New Year's Eve in the comfort of his home with his siblings, he was gunned down at another person's house after responding to a 911 call. I would suggest that each of you take the time to personally tell a police officer 'thank you' for the service he/she does for all of us."
Though they had been rivals for the "Officer of the Year" award, Sonny shed some tears for Joe, and so did most of the other police officers lined up with him. The rest were solemn and quiet. Joe had been an elite among elites.
"Fifth, and last of the honorable officers," said Whipplestick, "Let's all give our condolences to Corrections Officer Luis D. Pate, who also happens to be the son of George Pate, another Corrections Officer. He was a rookie when he was killed. He had shown unusual ability to adapt to the role of a jail officer, especially for a rookie, and not one prisoner he encountered intimidated him too much for him to do his job. His father George was very proud of him. But last year, Jessie Hiram Bains, the Death Angel, escaped from jail when he was brought back to town for a retrial, and took Pate hostage in order to make his escape. Bains kept him alive until they got to Cotton Cove, and then he executed him in the usual brutal style that he used when hitting someone. After Bains escaped Cotton Cove, Sonny Bonds and Officer Moore found Pate's body in the river and recovered it, confirming his death. I think that he too should be remembered forever by the officers of this department, and not just by his father and family."
Marie had once had a rough run-in with George Pate in jail, but Marie wasn't one to hold a grudge, and she agreed that his son Luis deserved to be remembered and honored for his service to the Lytton Police Force and his untimely death.
"But as for the story of the corrupt police officer, Pat Morales," Whipplestick said sadly, "although she too is dead, it was a dishonorable death, and though much of the blame for that goes to her, some should also go to her abusive and negligent parents and her connection with Jessie Bains. Her father, in particular, was an animal, a drunk animal, and she shed no tears after his accidental death. She claimed before being killed that Jessie Bains provided for her and what was left of her family, and this is presumably what led her to become the kind of police officer she was. She was insubordinate, verbally abusive, hated authority figures irrationally, had low self-esteem, and was even a borderline sociopath. She even had a connection to the Pentagram drug cult led by Jessie's brother, Michael Bains, and secretly used and stole drugs. At the end of her life, after Officer Bonds defeated Michael Bains, Morales attempted to murder Sonny, offering the ultimate insult to him and his good wife, Marie Bonds, but Officer Hooks of Internal Affairs killed her first."
The Chief of Police paused for a moment before continuing. "I hope that the life and career of Pat Morales will be a lesson for all of us. Not all police officers are good; some are corrupt, and while some of them actually have a twisted desire to be bad, they more often sprout from cops who have suffered a tragedy or had a tragic youth and/or childhood. The Lytton Police Department will do everything we can to root out the corrupt police, and to help those of them that are in need of it, but it won't happen overnight."
The people were silent. Marie couldn't believe there were corrupt cops before her husband encountered Pat Morales, but they did exist, and the public would have to deal with it just as much as the Police Force did. She shuddered.
Whipplestick spoke once more. "But even with the influx of corruption in some areas of the Force, and the occasional racist officer as well, I still say that we should all be grateful that the Police Force exists in local, state, and Federal departments all over this great nation of ours, protecting our homes and streets day and night, for without police, war and chaos would rule daily instead of peace and order. I want to read you something from the Bible, Romans 13:1-5." Here he opened a copy of the Bible and began to read from said passage.
"Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. After all, they are God's servants, and it is their duty to help you. If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because these rulers have the right to punish you. They are God's servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is. But you should obey the rulers because you know it is the right thing to do, and not just because of God's anger."
He addressed his audience again. "Even though the police didn't technically exist in biblical times, at least not the way it has in the most recent centuries A.D., this passage in the Bible applies to the police, as well as to the politicians in the government. So, although not all police officers are Christians, in a way, all of them are in service to God as His servants. We are His ministers and representatives of justice, enforcing the laws the government makes to govern this fair country, and for everyone who believes in God, or at least in something spiritual, they are a visible reminder of His constant love and care for us. We should all be honored to be part of the police family in Lytton, because we are all part of the family of God and Jesus, like it or not! I've even heard it said by an officer in the FBI that a police officer is a Christian, even if he doesn't believe in Jesus or the Holy Spirit, because police officers bring happiness, justice and freedom to the country. As for those who are corrupt, I cannot account for them, but all pure and well-meaning peace officers, whether they believe in Him or not, are just as much Christians as the great Martin Luther King Jr. once said Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, was."
There was an air of solemnity all throughout the park. Evidently, some of the police there, and even some of their friends and relatives, had never thought of the cops this way before. The police got into a long line, and their procession moved toward the memorial plaque. Each of them dropped a rose in remembrance of the fallen of the Lytton Police Force, fulfilling their part in contributing to the Peace Officers Memorial Day of 1992.
And as they thought about the unexpected words of Chief Whipplestick about cops being the "ministers and servants of God," it was then that both Sonny and Marie Bonds decided to become Christians.