*Deleted and re-uploaded due to some people not being able to see it.*
Not part of the Maddie-verse.
The One at the End of Watch
It was a cold and dreary day in Toronto and the weather outside was the perfect embodiment of the feelings and emotions of the mourners gathered inside the hall.
Friends, family members, and teammates both current and past stood around sharing stories and antidotes of the good friend they'd all lost. A few of the men and women tried to keep a smile on their face but most were wearing expressions of sadness and dabbing their eyes with wads of tissues or wiping away tears with their fingers.
There were a few who stood away from the crowd, at the front of the hall, staring silently and sullenly at the flag-draped casket and photo of their fallen friend and loved one. Some where remembering, with absolute clarity, the day they got the news no one ever wanted to receive. Some were seeing their friend and teammate's final moments play out in slow motion in memories that plagued their every waking (and sleeping) moment and some were still reeling with guilt from the events that led them to this very moment.
A song played from the sound system overhead, alerting everyone to the start of the service.
Family members, friends and former co-workers, or at least those who could make it in, of the fallen officer took up the seats on the right side of the hall. Team One and their families sat in the first row, the other SRU teams and staff members filed in the rows behind them on the other side of the hall.
Losing one of their own always hit hard, but losing one who sacrificed themselves and their life to save their teammates seemed to hit harder than anything else.
Commander Holleran stepped up to the podium and gave the first of many eulogies that day.
Family members, friends and teammates spoke after him and throughout all of the eulogies, there were several reoccurring words used to describe their fallen friend.
Caring and compassionate.
Dedicated.
Fiercely loyal.
Cunning and intelligent.
Strong by every definition.
Tough.
Stubborn.
Wise.
Highly skilled.
Hard working.
Selfless.
Fearless.
Brave.
After the eulogies were finished, and tears were freely flowing down faces and pooling in eyes, a few more songs played over the sound system as the Canadian flag covering the casket was neatly folded and presented to the family.
Once the flag was presented to the family, the mourners were given one last chance to visit the casket before it was loaded into the hearse for the journey to the cemetery.
As family members, friends and mourners made their way outside to their cars, a 21-gun salute rang out in the silence around them.
A police escort led the hearse, the family car and the caravan of other cars to the cemetery; the streets they drove down lined with citizens paying their respects to the fallen officer.
As the funeral procession drove down the streets of Toronto, one last, somber, final call went out of every police, SRU, Guns and Gangs, fire department and first responder radio.
"8302, 8302, 8302. This is a final call for Constable Samuel Braddock, badge number 8302. Constable Braddock was fatally shot on Dec. 31 while answering and going above and beyond a call for duty. He gave of himself while serving Toronto's Police Strategic Response Unit with courage and valor. The men and women of the SRU are forever grateful and proud to have served with Constable Braddock. We will never forget his ultimate sacrifice.
"Constable Samuel Braddock, may you rest in peace knowing your strength, legacy and honor will live in and continue with all of us.
8302, you are clear for end of watch.
Thank you for your service and rest easy, sir, knowing we have the watch from here."
A short but sad piece inspired the heart wrenching video of Deputy Zackari Parrish's funeral on Facebook. Deputy Parrish was shot and killed in the line of duty in Colorado on New Years Eve(I found the transcript of his 'final call' and tweaked it a bit to fit the story). In August 2017, I lost a friend, a police detective, in the line of duty as well.
I hope this piece does not offend anyone, I wrote it as a way to honor Zach, my friend, and every other officer that has been killed in the line of duty.