Last Friday, June 19, more than 100 people attended a ceremony at DeWitt Town Hall to honor the service of Deputy David Clark and Deputy Glenn Searles, of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, who were killed while performing duties associated with their jobs as law enforcement officers.
The Badge of Honor ceremony, attended by the families of the fallen officers and police officers from departments in the greater Syracuse area, was held in association with the Badge of Honor Association (BOHA), a non-profit group of police officers across New York state who volunteer their time to help commemorate law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
“We are gathered here today to honor two true heroes, two of Onondaga County’s finest. These men made the ultimate sacrifice for their community. But we are not here to solemnly recount the way that they died, we are here to celebrate the manner in which they live their lives — heroes,” said Mike Ciulla, member of the BOHA and a Rochester police officer.
In February 1987, Deputy Clark was fatally shot by an inmate during a failed escape attempt at the Town of DeWitt Court. Clark was 33 at the time of his death and was survived by his wife and two sons.
In November 2003, Deputy Seamless was killed after he was struck by a car while helping a stranded motorist on Route 481. He was 31 years-old at the time and survived by his fiancée.
These men did not die in vain, said Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway. After Clark was killed at the Town of DeWitt court, upgrades to security measures and the system of transferring inmates were made at the DeWitt Courthouse, as well as many other courthouses across the state, Conway said.
In 2011, the “Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act” was signed into New York State law, which required better driving safety awareness on highways, and was named in part after Deputy Searles and another fallen officer, Robert W. Ambrose, Conway said.
“When Deputy David Clark and Deputy Glenn Searles took their oaths swearing to uphold the constitution, they made a commitment and dedicated their lived to act on behalf of their fellow citizens. They both made this commitment knowing full well that someday it might require the ultimate sacrifice. Today, we pay special honor to those who made that sacrifice,” said Conway.
“End of Watch” signs were dedicated and presented for Clark and Seamless at the ceremony, and will be placed at the location where the two men lost their lives. Clark’s will be placed at the Town of DeWitt Courthouse and Searles’ will be placed along Route 481 near the Kirkville Road Exit.
“It’s because of men like these who gave their lives for their communities that people respect the badge,” said Ciulla, who works third platoon in the city of Rochester as an officer. “I owe them a debt of gratitude that I can never repay.”
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
