NASHVILLE, Ill. — A local community's tribute to police officers killed in the line of duty has quickly gone viral.
Nashville, Illinois, is a small town of just over 3300 people, and for 47 years Rick Harris has sworn to protect and serve each one of them.
“I feel as a police officer we have an obligation to be interactive with our community,” said Supreme Court Marshal Rick Harris. “I absolutely love it.”
While returning home from Wayne Co. Deputy Sean Riley funeral Harris had a revelation of sorts.
“I witnessed over 500 police officers attend that funeral,” said Harris. “It impacted me to the point where I thought, 'You know, there’s got to be a way to express our appreciation to law enforcement officers and their families who make the ultimate sacrifice.'”
Working with the Washington Co. Fellowship of Police, Harris organized a tribute that welcomes everyone coming in and out of Nashville.
“I thought why not put their names up on a billboard,” said Harris. “Let people see their names. Let them think about their names for a short period of time. It’s not just a one-day memorial service, but let people think of their names for a couple of weeks.”
The memorial quickly went viral on social media where it caught the attention of the Cook County Police Officer Allen Giacchetti’s wife, Angela.
“I appreciated all the kind words and the sentiment of the tribute,” said Angela Porreca-Giacchetti. “Nothing can replace my husband, but I am so grateful so many see his name.”
Harris had a message to the loved ones of these officers who were killed in the line of duty:
“I understand there’s no way we can bring them back,” said Harris. “I want those families to understand that we’re still here. We are still your brothers and sisters, and we’re never going to forget. We’re never going to forget.”
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