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Memorial honors fallen law officers
Article
courtesy of
The Lancaster News
Front Page,
Friday, April 18, 2008
She wishes she had
pictures of it
Coleman McAteer, a constable, was engaged to be married
in 1947 when he assisted a sheriff's deputy arresting a
man wanted for murder in Union County. McAteer was hit
with a shotgun blast fired by the suspect.
Now, Threatt and
other family members have a way to remember McAteer for
his service to Lancaster County. His name is engraved on
the Lancaster County law enforcement memorial, which was
unveiled on Wednesday.
McAteer's sister,
Jo Robinson, said attending the unveiling was wonderful.
"It was a long
time coming," Robinson said. "I have so much praise for
the Raos."
The Raos are
Lancaster residents Sal and Lois. They lost their son,
Highway Patrol Senior Trooper Mike Rao, in 2002. Mike
Rao, who got his start in Lancaster County law
enforcement, was hit by a car while on duty in Clarendon
County and later died.
Since then, the
Raos have worked to bring a monument here to remember
local fallen officers from the S.C. Highway Patrol,
Lancaster Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff's
Office and S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The
Raos worked with a committee of law enforcement
personnel to make it happened.
The Raos are
modest about their involvement. But the speakers at the
unveiling ceremony gave much credit to the couple for
their drive to make the memorial a reality.
"This is why we do
it," Lois Rao said with a big smile and her arm around
the shoulder of Lennie Montgomery after the ceremony.
Montgomery's
father, Lancaster County Sheriff's Lt. Clarence Hunter,
is listed on the monument. He suffered a heart attack in
1972 while running after a suspect.
"It helps the
families," Montgomery said. "We're very proud of him."
Nancy Pope Seely
was 4 in 1943 when her father, Curtis James Pope, a
constable, was injured in a fight with a man he was
trying to arrest for writing a bad check. The man bit
part of Pope's nose off. Pope died of a blood infection
11 months later.
Seely drove from
Fayetteville, N.C., for Wednesday's ceremony.
I
think it's wonderful," Seely said. "They just don't know
how much it means."
The S.C. Highway Patrol honor guard
and Lancaster Police and sheriff's office honor guard
members presented flags during the solemn ceremony. As
the sun shone without a cloud in the sky, the flags
flapping breeze was the only sound as the officers
saluted the colors.
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office
chaplain John Rogers said law enforcement officers are
"ministers of good, who form a thin, blue line that
protects us from evil."
Sheriff Johnny Cauthen said J.T.
McAteer, who is listed on the monument, was killed on
Cauthen's first day on the job.
He said in 2007, 187 police officers
died in the line of duty across the United States, and
in 2008, 30 have died so far, including one in South
Carolina.
He said the monument helps remember
officers who had a calling to law enforcement similar to
the callings ministers or teachers receive.
"They aren't here with us physically,
but they are here with us spiritually," Cauthen said.
Lancaster Sheriff's Deputy John Jost
and Lancaster Police Cpl. Dale Johnson took the black
cloth off the monument, revealing it for the first time.
"Oh my gosh," one woman whispered,
and it seemed as though a collective sigh rose from the
crowd.
"It felt pretty good," Johnson said
of his role, after the ceremony. Johnson worked a
12-hour shift overnight, and hadn't had any sleep before
the event.
But he said he jumped at the chance
to participate.
"It's the families" first time seeing
it, and it was a honor and a privilege to be able to
show it to them," he said.
Contact senior reporter
Jenny Hartley at
jhartley@thelancasternews.com or (803) 283-1151
Click here to download ceremony
program
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