Published: November 05, 2009 11:08 am      

Memorial to Nine speaks to Nappanee’s character

With the temperature falling all the while, more than 50 people showed up Tuesday afternoon in Nappanee to honor the memory of Nappanee Police Sgt. Brant “Butch” Nine. It was a tribute that speaks volumes of Nine’s contributions to the community and the community’s willingness not to forget.

It has been 21 years since that sad day on Nov. 3, 1988. It was a generation ago. Nine responded to a possible check forgery in progress at a downtown jewelry store. When he arrived he fought with the suspect, 24-year-old Michael R. Steele of Elkhart, and was eventually shot with his own gun. He died later that night.

It is a testament to the character of Nappanee that 21 years later, it still mourns its fallen officer. We are proud of Nine’s service and regretful of what it ultimately cost him. Whenever a police officer laces up his or her boots and patrols a beat, they are putting their lives at risk. The Goshen Police Department lost Thomas Goodwin on Dec. 11, 1998.

The night of Nine’s memorial, Goshen police responded to a shooting victim found at the Meijer department store on Elkhart Road. The shooter was still at large. Anything could have happened once they arrived.

There is nothing routine about police work. It may seem like it sometimes, but we know better. Annual memorials for fallen officers tell as much.