Vigil honors fallen officers

So far, Mississippi leads the nation in line-of-duty police deaths for 2015.

Of the 44 fallen officers in 2015, five are from Mississippi, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which keeps track of such deaths. Texas and Alabama have four each, and Louisiana, New York and Pennsylvania have three each.

On Saturday night, Hattiesburg Police Department officers Laquori Tate and Benjamin Deen were gunned down during a traffic stop, catapulting Mississippi to the top of the list.

John Gorman, the Mississippi Gaming Commission's director of investigations, was killed in a training accident in January.

In March, Warren County sheriff's Deputy Johnny Gatson died in an automobile accident. A week later, Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells of Jackson was shot to death while serving a warrant in Louisiana.

Since Tate and Deen were killed over the weekend, many state and national public figures and political leaders have again called for an end to the violence against police.

Every day, officers go out not knowing what the day will hold nor whether a "routine" traffic stop could end up being their last.

"It makes us wonder, because we have families as well, is it worth it to put our lives on the line and run the risk of not going home to our families?" said Edwards police officer Terence Crump. "But I love my job. This is my calling."

Tim Rutledge, director of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support, emphasized the crisis police are facing now.

"I beg the public to stop killing us," he said. "If there's an issue with law enforcement, take it up with courts and please don't take up a gun."

Gov. Phil Bryant, a former law enforcement officer himself, said every line-of-duty death is tragic. He noted that Mississippians didn't turn to infighting or rioting but have become their own support system after the Hattiesburg tragedy.

"It is impossible to predict when such an event will occur, so we must make every effort to provide training, equipment and support," Bryant said. "Mississippi stands behind its law enforcement officers, and the deaths of officers Dean and Tate in Hattiesburg have had the opposite effect of what many might have believed. The community has come together to honor their service and to offer support for their families and for all fallen officers."

The Officer Down Memorial Page keeps up with line of duty deaths, but it doesn't show the emotional toll the critical incidents take on their own departments.

"The type of stuff we go through in our training brings us together as one, so when you actually lose someone it's just like losing a family member," Jackson police officer Jason Miller said.

A ceremony Tuesday night hosted by Attorney General Jim Hood and the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police at the Mississippi Fallen Officers Memorial between the Sillers and Gartin Justice buildings off High Street in downtown Jackson honored the seven Mississippi officers who have died since last year's ceremony.

In addition to the five in 2015, there were two in 2014: Master Sgt. John Thomas Collum of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks on May 9 and George County Deputy John Robert Street on Dec. 16.

"We began this ceremony five years ago following the creation of the memorial wall," said Hood. "Since we last held this ceremony, Mississippi has lost seven heroes in the line of duty, two in 2014 and five in 2015. There are another 227 names on the memorial."

Picayune Patrolman Brandon Penton said he remembers exactly how he felt when he heard about Tate and Deen's brutal deaths.

"Sickness, even though I didn't know them. They're still behind the badge; we are all behind the badge. A sickness hit and an anger, then sickness and anger," he said. "I was supposed to be up at 5:30 a.m., and I was still laying there looking at the clock at 3 a.m., and the sickness and anger were still there because it's close to home. You read about it, and it's not any less when it happens in New York or LA, but this hits home. This hits home."

Picayune chaplain Jonathan Filkins, as he and the others attended a memorial service for the fallen officers on Monday, said it's time to come up with a solution.

"This is just one of hundreds of gatherings that occur for similar reasons and we can't stand apart from them, we must join in and solve these problems which keep recurring in our society," he said.

The LEAPS website says there are 300-500 police suicides every year, which is three times as many as those killed in the line of duty.

For that reason, LEAPS exists to offer counseling to officers who have experienced a critical incident such as a line of duty shooting, the death of a partner, violent or tragic calls or cases, and even to help in the case of personal tragedies like divorce or death in the family.

"We're cops just like you. We're here to respond and help you deal with the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of job-related stresses," the website reads. "You are not alone. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us."

Officials said LEAPS has been on the ground in Hattiesburg offering counseling and peer support to HPD officers.

For more information on LEAPS, visit its website at http://msleaps.org/.

Contact Therese Apel at (601) 961-7236 or tapel@gannett.com. Follow @Trex21 on Twitter.

Killed in the line of duty

Since May 2014

•John Thomas Collum, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, May 9, 2014

•John Robert Street George County Sheriff's Department, Dec. 16

•John Ballard Gorman, Mississippi Gaming Commission, Jan. 21, 2015

•Johnny Gatson, Warren County Sheriff's Department, March 10

•Josie Wells, U.S. Marshals Service, March 10

•Liquori Tate, Hattiesburg Police Department, Saturday

•Benjamin Deen, Hattiesburg Police Department, Saturday