RIDGEFIELD, Wash. — A Clark County Sheriff's patrol vehicle is parked on the grass at the West Precinct office near the Clark County Fairgrounds to honor fallen Sergeant Jeremy Brown.
People have been leaving flowers and balloons to pay their respects.
The Clark County detective was killed July 23, while doing surveillance at an apartment complex, allegedly shot by one of the suspects he was watching, as he sat in his unmarked car.
The patrol vehicle tribute and all the support for Brown, his family, and the sheriff's office, means a lot, according to Sgt. Alex Shoening.
“From the sheriff’s office, I want to express deep gratitude for the community outpouring, it’s been overwhelming. It just shows in times like this when we feel at our lowest morale-wise because of a dear friend’s loss, the community’s really stepped up,” said Shoening.
The sheriff's sergeant also thanked other local law enforcement agencies for helping out by taking calls that normally would be handled by deputies.
During the past week, volunteers behind the scenes fed sheriff's office employees, along with other volunteers from Behind the Badge, the group dedicated to planning Jeremy Brown's memorial service just the way his family wants it.
That service will be this Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, Washington. The resort has a venue that can hold a lot of people.
“They have a capacity of around 3000,” said Shoening, who added, ”There will be a lot of law enforcement there from around the state and the country.
Shoening says officers from agencies as far away as New York and Florida are likely to attend. And so are those from a place with a special connection.
“Sgt. Brown was a reserve deputy in Missoula County in Montana, so we will have representation from there.”
All this to remember and honor a man who had badge number 4383, now on black bands worn by others with badges, like Shoening.
“I’m privileged to do so. He served his community with honor and with dignity and with integrity… I supervised him and I got to witness in the brief time I supervised him just his heart for people and his heart to better the community around him.”
While specific details of the procession route have not yet been released, Shoening said it will include dozens of law enforcement and first responder vehicles and will use Interstate 5 as it accompanies Brown to the memorial service Ilani.
If you can’t come in person or you’d rather watch from a distance, KGW will be live streaming the entire service.
Organizers have also set up a satellite viewing location to watch the live stream, at Vancouver Church, at 3030 NE 78th Street in Hazel Dell.
