Delaware

Widow of Slain State Trooper Helps Honor Fallen Delaware Police Officers

Ballard's widow, Louise, laid a single rose at a granite memorial, where 23 other roses had been placed in honor of each of the other troopers.

A state trooper who was fatally shot last week was honored Wednesday at an annual wreath-laying ceremony honoring Delaware State Police officers who have died in the line of duty.

Cpl. Stephen Ballard's name was the last to be called on a roster of 24 troopers who have died since the force was formed in 1923.

Ballard's widow, Louise, laid a single rose at a granite memorial, where 23 other roses had been placed in honor of each of the other troopers. She then hugged troopers who escorted her family to the memorial.

Gov. John Carney, Attorney General Matt Denn, state police superintendent Col. Nathaniel McQueen and Safety and Homeland Security Robert Coupe were among those who spoke.

"We're still trying to come to grips with the tragic events of last week," McQueen said. "As we celebrate our fallen here today, we're leaning on each other."

The somber ceremony was held two days before the funeral for Ballard, who was shot while investigating a suspicious vehicle at a convenience store in Bear.

Ballard's killer, Burgon Sealy Jr., then barricaded himself in his family home near Middletown, firing shots at officers during a 20-hour standoff before he was fatally shot.

Lt. Thomas Brackin, president of the Delaware State Troopers Association, said he hopes officers can take something positive from Ballard's death by remembering to do all they can to keep each other safe.

"By that I mean there's really no routine call," said Brackin.

Brackin also noted the outpouring of community support in response to Ballard's death, but said there's a "false narrative" that portrays law enforcement officers as the bad guys and mitigates the actions of criminals.

He called on the public to recognize "that the men and women who wear these uniforms are human beings who go out every day to do the most difficult job in the world."

Many of the troopers honored Wednesday died in vehicle accidents, while a few were shot and some died of natural causes while still on active duty. One trooper died of AIDS-related complications after receiving a tainted blood transfusion during surgery for injuries he sustained while rescuing a suicidal man from a bridge.

Wednesday's ceremony at state police headquarters was followed by a similar tribute on Legislative Mall for the broader law enforcement community in Delaware.

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