DALLAS — DALLAS -- It has been two years since Sam Thompson spoke to his son, but he hears Brent’s voice in his head every day.
“The last three words that Brent said to me were, ‘Love you, dad,’” he said. “That cannot be replaced.”
Brent was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer. He lost his life when a sniper ambushed officers who were keeping the streets of downtown Dallas safe during a protest on July 7, 2016.
Thompson, Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael J. Smith and Officer Patrick Zamarippa – all from the Dallas Police Department – were killed in the line of duty in what was the deadliest day for law enforcement in the U.S. since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
On Friday, the eve of the second anniversary of the shooting, Dallas police held a memorial service outside DPD headquarters.
After faith leaders offered prayers, Chief U. Renee Hall read the names of each of the fallen.
“These officers left a legacy,” she said, encouraging people who didn’t know the officers to get to know them through someone who did. She also offered praise for how the department and the city persevered.
“The brave men and women of the Dallas Police Department faced adversity and became the beacon of courage and public service to all law enforcement officers across this country,” she said. “The love and support from this community was an example of love, partnership and togetherness that showed an example for the rest of the world.
Family members and police department command staff released white balloons that read, “You are loved. You are missed. You are remembered.”
After the ceremony, Sam Thompson said it felt good to be surrounded by people who experienced the same loss he did.
“On 7-7-2016 we became one family,” he said. “Today was a moment of grief and a moment of happiness and it seems like this happened yesterday, and it seemed like it happened 100 years ago.”
Thompson admitted he cries almost every morning and every night.
Dallas police Sgt. Ivan Gunter admits that he has cried too.
“Because these are people you don’t replace, you can’t,” Gunter said. “So this has been a huge loss. Still not really over it. You just learn to deal with it.”
On July 7, 2016, Gunter was leading the group of officers responsible for blocking the intersections for the protesters. He dodged the same bullets that took his colleagues’ lives.
“These men were my family, my friends, my brothers, so it’s hard,” he said. “We love this city, we fight for this city. We do everything we can to support the citizens of this city. That’s our job. And each one of my people did their job.”
“With faith, work, and with a lot of prayer, you put one foot in front of another and carry on.”