Community gathers for Fallen Heroes Memorial dedication in Lakeland

LAKELAND — A sister. A daughter. A wife. 

The Lakeland Police Department honored their loved ones, fallen officers, Monday with the dedication of the Fallen Heroes Memorial.

The unveiling of a bronze honor guard sculpture and glass plaques etched with the names and likenesses of the five fallen officers took place in front of more than 100 members of the community at the Police Department headquarters in downtown Lakeland.

"Each family of the fallen officers has sacrificed and suffered the ultimate loss of someone very special in their lives," Police Chief Larry Giddens said. "It is my sincerest hope that we never add another name to this memorial."

Officer Brenda Crispin, along with six family members, placed a rose at her brother Officer Arnulfo Crispin's plaque.

Arnulfo Crispin was shot and killed Dec. 21, 2011, by a suspect while he was checking another for weapons. He was 25 years old and a Lakeland police officer for 18 months.

Brenda Crispin, who was pursuing a career in the medical field, became an officer three years later in memory of her brother.

"Not a day goes by where I don't think about him," Brenda Crispin said. "The memorial is beautiful and something we'll have forever as a place to go for comfort and peace."

Family members of other fallen officers shared similar sentiments. 

Pamela Axsom, daughter of Officer Carl H. Cushman, traveled from Charlotte, N.C. with her husband, Michael, to witness the dedication. 

Her father was wounded during a vehicle pursuit and gun battle with a suspect July 5, 1980. He died April 11, 1988, from lingering effects of his injuries.

Axsom said her father's death left a hole in the family. She wished her mother, who died in 2004, was alive to see the memorial for him.

"It's a lovely tribute that exceeded my expectations," Axsom said. "I just hope there's no other names ever added to it."

Ann DeBerry Lamb said she felt lost when her husband, Officer Eugene E. DeBerry, died Jan. 14, 1985 — almost two decades after he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident when he attempted to overtake a speeding vehicle.

"But I knew he went to a better place and I'll see him again one day," Lamb said. "I can't even explain in words what this memorial means to me.

"The uniform of the solider is just like the one Eugene used to wear. It's incredible."

The memorial also honors Patrolmen Thomas Alonzo Nicholson and William T. Barnett, who were killed March 27, 1932, while responding to a domestic disturbance that Easter Sunday. The patrolmen struggled with two suspects, who shot and killed the officers.

Family members weren't present for Nicholson and Barnett, so members of the honor guard placed roses on their plaques.

The memorial was funded through the Lakeland Police Foundation, the sale of commemorative bricks, voluntary deductions from officers' paychecks and a $1 million anonymous donation.

"It is said that a hero remembered never dies. I know this to be true," Giddens said. "Our memorial will serve this noble purpose and will ensure that our five fallen heroes ... are forever remembered for making the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of their sworn duties to protect citizens and the city we call home."

Assistant Chief of Police Mike Link said Pam Page, the city's deputy director of parks and recreation, came up with the idea for the memorial in 2011 and it was immediately embraced by the department and community.

He cited two quotes that he thinks the memorial will help community members live by: "Memory is the mother of all wisdom" and "what you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

"It is important for Americans to remember these heroes ... understand their selfless service and continue to appreciate our peacemakers — our law enforcement officers," Link said. "This memorial helps to preserve that memory."

"We will never forget their sacrifice. The Fallen Heroes Memorial ensures we never will."

— Madison Fantozzi can be reached at madison.fantozzi@theledger.com or 863-802-7547. Follow her on Twitter @madisonfantozzi.