In the Line of Duty

Fight-or-flight is our personal survival mechanism -- our response to danger. It takes a very special person to face danger on a near daily basis on behalf of others. These are our police, our firefighters, and our soldiers who go on the line for our community and our country.

Pittsburgh police officers Eric Kelly, Paul Sciullo II and Stephen J. Mayhle made the ultimate sacrifice for our community. They ran towards danger to protect us all and Pittsburgh is diminished by their loss.

It is right and fitting that we honor their lives and mourn their loss.

All three officers will lie in repose in the City-County Building starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. There will be a public memorial service for them at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland.

The Post-Gazette has details on individual visitation hours here and an article on their common devotion to duty here.

If you're on Facebook, there have been at least two groups set up to honor their memory: Pray for the Pittsburgh Police Officers (with over 26,000 members) and Remembering the Fallen Pittsburgh Police Officers (nearly 8,000 members). Also, most? all? of the local media have online memorials set up. As someone who has recently lost a family member and who has a family member who is a police officer, I'm sure that the slain officers' family, friends and coworkers will appreciate whatever support you can give.
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