News

Actions

Family of Orem police create pins for those attending Officer Brotherson’s funeral

Posted at 7:15 AM, Nov 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-14 09:15:13-05

OREM, Utah - Law enforcement communities across the state have felt the impact of Officer Cody Brotherson's death.

The West Valley City Officer was killed in the line of duty last weekend, and ahead of Monday’s funeral services folks in Orem have come together for a touching show of support.

Tricia Breinholt supervises dispatchers for the Orem Police Department, and this week she handled a call to action dear to her heart.

“It’s just the smallest, simplest thing,” she said.

Breinholt and a dozen others made thin blue line ribbon pins so the Brotherson family knows the law enforcement community is mourning with them.

“I have a son that is a year or so younger than Officer Brotherson, and who has also in the past said that he would like to go through police academy, and it’s just, as a mom, my heart just goes out to her,” Breinholt said.

Dispatchers, wives, moms, sisters—all of them family of officers from the Orem Police Department helped out with effort. Each pin will go to an officer attending Brotherson’s funeral.

The group carried out the same act during memorial services for Officer Doug Barney earlier this year.

“It’s not about us feeling good,” Breinholt said. “It’s about us feeling like we can be a part of something to help them in this time. To honor him. To honor his family for the man that they raised.”

The women also made a shroud for Orem Police officers to wear over their badges to honor the memory of Officer Brotherson.

It’s an unspoken show of support they hope will go a long way.

“We’re just one little, tiny group of people that are doing it,” Breinholt said. "But there are police associations and wives associations across the state that are donating the exact same time and effort that we're putting into this."