Non-Profit Groups Support Families Of Fallen Officers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A somber procession was held today as the body of Ofc. Tara O'Sullivan was taken to a funeral home in Elk Grove. An honor guard carried her U.S. flag-draped casket out of a white hearse and into the funeral home.
At times like these, a special group of women are called on to help. The families of fallen officers are connected by tragedy, but a nationwide group is trying to help them move forward.
As the deadly standoff played out on TV, the stark reality played out in Susan Moody's mind.
"It broke my heart. I wish I could put all the officers in a bubble and keep them safe," said Susan Moody, whose husband was killed in a crash while responding to a domestic disturbance call in 2008.
Seeing officer Tara O'Sullivan lose her life was like losing her husband all over again.
"It's tough when an officer is killed in the line of duty because it always brings back my loss," said Moody.
The grief was overwhelming and she felt it right to pay it forward by volunteering with Concerns of Police Survivors or COPS. The non-profit is there if families want a shoulder to lean on.
"They know we are there for them. We help them plan funerals and work funerals, but the biggest thing is, in the long run, we are there for them from now until forever," she said.
Moody generally starts with a text offering support.
"It's more to gauge the time and know when it's appropriate," said Moody.
It's a sensitive time when people are grieving, says Senior Chaplain Mindi Russell with the law enforcement chaplaincy of Sacramento. Sometimes just being present is enough.
"A ministry of presence becomes a ministry of purpose, because they often gravitate to us because we do offer a stability of hope and a reminder of humanity in the midst of evil and chaos," she said.
The non-profit works with 15 different agencies in the area. Last year, the group helped with nearly 3,300 incidents involving thousands of people.
Moody says she plans to speak with O'Sullivan's family on Saturday.