HERMANN, Mo. — One year ago Tuesday, two Hermann police officers were shot in the line of duty.
Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith died from his injuries, and Officer Adam Sullentrup is still on the long road to recovery.
The community gathered in Hermann for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night to honor them both.
“We come together to honor Officer Adam Sullentrup and the ultimate sacrifice made by Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith. March 12, 2023, the day that shook this community to its core,” Rosebud Police Chief Lynde Mantels said.
On that day, Sullentrup and Griffith responded to a Casey’s gas station for a disturbance. That’s when a man named Kenneth Simpson fired shots at them and took off running.
Simpson ended up hiding in a nearby home for hours in a standoff with police, and he was later arrested with Griffith's handcuffs.
Walker said he remembers vividly receiving the call that two of his officers were shot in the line of duty.
“It's just been a kind of a difficult year, but we've been getting through and waking up today just thinking of what happened a year ago today, just, kind of a shock and didn't think this would happen in my 20-year career and unfortunately it did,” Walker said.
Walker said it was wonderful to see this community come together for both families and continue to support them.
“It's amazing," he said. "That's what Hermann is. It's why I've been here my whole career for 20 years. And just to people here, they’re just outstanding and very supportive of law enforcement and service personnel all around."
A chaplain for Hermann's first responders said Griffith was carrying a small metal cross in his pocket the day he was shot and killed, and now, it has a special meaning for all the first responders at the vigil.
“He was baptized I think about two weeks before all this happened," the Rv. Dave Thomas said. "It was amazing because every time that I'd see him, he'd always pull his cross out, and I’d share the cross with him. And, we try to give all the officers one of these crosses. I have given out several thousand, and his son continues to give these out as well."
The community said they will never forget the officers' bravery.
Walker said several memorials were in the works to honor their sacrifice.
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