Law enforcement

Law Enforcement Community Comes Together in Wake of Two Line-of-Duty Deaths

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As Carrollton Police prepare to bury one of their own, the law enforcement community is stepping in, sending condolences, but more importantly, providing assistance for the men and women Officer Steve Nothem served beside.

"We're going to pull together and help them through this. Every one of those officers is going to remember this death,” said Dallas Police Association President Michael Mata.

With nearly 100 of their own line-of-duty deaths, today's heartbreak is one Mata said his department knows all too well.

"I look at every face. I remember the first one that was on that wall when I got on with this department. That's Officer Brown. And the last one we're going to put on that wall,” he said.

Just last week, Mata responded to the crash that killed Officer Jacob Arellano.

"Seeing a young man like that, that loses his life with a whole career ahead of him, a whole life ahead of him, an 8-year-old baby. And then we see this Carrollton officer, who's also a young officer with his career ahead of him and four young children. That could be any one of us,” said Mata.

It’s a reminder that lingers.

It's been more than 20 years since Garland police saw one of their officers killed on the job. And still, Officer Matt Pesta said a tragedy like this feels personal.

"It's the worst piece of news that you can hear,” said Pesta. “You know, every day, police officers all across this country put on this uniform, and we kiss our families goodbye, and we hope that we come home that day. That's the goal. That's the plan. That's what we've trained for. But sometimes, it doesn't happen.”

That's why in the wake of a tragedy like Carrollton’s, support straddles jurisdictions and city lines. Different departments step in to run calls, provide funeral escorts and make sure their fellow officers know they're not alone.

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