I Wanted To Tell You About Corporal Keith Heacook.....

Friday, April 30th: This has been a surreal week filled with long days, shock, anger, sadness and searching. On Wednesday, April 28th, a press conference held at the Delmar Police Department officially informed us that our hero was gone, and the next morning all I could think to write about was to ask you to channel your grief into compassion for all our local departments and officers who are suffering along with this family.

I thought in a day or two I'd be able to write something more appropriate for Corporal Keith Heacook, and as often happens, I was wrong. Thursday into Friday I struggled to find something to say.... tribute to post....perhaps a fitting poem about this man.....and I couldn't. Friday morning it was still dark as I sat here at 4:30am and looked over the hundreds of posts and comments from the week and realized I'd shared so much with a vengeance and fervor, almost as if I was desperate to pass along every single statement I could find which honored this life so abruptly taken.....and then I realized I'll never be able to tell you.....

what an amazing person Corporal Keith Heacook was,
how many people in this town loved him,
why his senseless murder left a gaping void in our community,
the depth of sadness which has rippled through our state.

I can't repeat anything he said that was memorable,
quoted a line or retold a favorite story,
give you 100 reasons why he'll be so greatly missed,
explain what he meant to so many.

I could never write about the pride he had for his son,
repeat the words he so lovingly spoke about his family,
express to you the shock of last Sunday's news,
articulate the soul-piercing grief his family is going through,
understand the pain that the wife, mother and son of a hero should never have to experience.


I can't tell you any of these things because I never met Corporal Heacook, but since Sunday morning I've been immersed and surrounded with people who knew and loved him, and from their passionate words, like a sponge, those of us who didn't know him soaked up what's been said. From tearful recollections and memories which tear at the heart, we've come to grasp a hint of the man he was. Our town was blessed to have known the hero who left us far too soon.....tears are falling as I write and finally realize I guess I know him now too.

Delmarva Supports Law Enforcement was created to recognize  police officers of Delmarva (fourteen counties across three states); along with advocating respect for all who serve. #delmarvablue

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