We are very relieved to have gotten through the month of August without any line of duty deaths in North Carolina. We are so grateful for the men and women in blue who serve our great state and pray that they can return home safe at the end of each shift.
August started at great with our Western Co-Chair Timothy Fox (father of the late Watauga County K-9 Deputy Logan Fox) attending Watauga County’s National Night Out to represent Back The Blue NC! Thank you to everybody who attended and stopped by to learn more about our non-profit and purchase some merchandise. 100% of your proceeds go to assisting the children and families of NC Law Enforcement Officers killed in the line of duty.
On August 2nd we reflected on the service and sacrifice of Wayne County Sgt. Matthew Fishman (EOW 08/02/2022) and continue to hold his family, friends, and fellow Deputies in our thoughts and prayers. On 08/01/2022 Sergeant Matthew Fishman was shot and killed while serving involuntary commitment papers. The subject fired at Sergeant Fishman and two other deputies as they arrived at the home. The subject then barricaded himself inside the house until a SWAT team entered at 8:00 pm and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sergeant Fishman was transported to ECU Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds the next day. The two other deputies were transported to ECU Medical Center and Wayne UNC Hospital in stable condition.
Sergeant Fishman had served with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for 12 years and had previously served with the Mount Olive Police Department. He is survived by his wife, two children, and parents.
Through our fundraising efforts, we were able to provide his wife Mrs. Fishman $29,000 to care for their two young children just a few months later.
We could not have done that without your support. In order to help assist families of the fallen, like Sgt. Fishman's, please consider joining our 10-33 Assistance Program. 100% of your donation goes to supporting the children and families of NC's Fallen Law Enforcement Officers.
Become a monthly donor today at www.backthebluenc.org/1033
Augst 11th marked the one year anniversary since the loss of Wake County K9 Deputy Ned Byrd. Sadly, Deputy Ned Byrd's dream of being a K-9 Officer was cut much too short when he was ambushed and shot while investigating a suspicious vehicle. We mourn with our friends at the Wake County Sheriff's Office as they honored his life and service. We also mourn with his surviving family and his devoted K9 Sasha.
With the funds raised in Deputy Byrd's name, we have partnered with Wake Tech's BLET program to sponsor one cadet per year to help carry on Deputy Byrd's legacy of commitment to protecting the public. Our first recipient will be announced soon, and will be attending the September 12th academy class.
On August 12th several members of our staff attended the Denton FarmPark Jeep Fest, who very graciously dedicated their event to fundraising for our non-profit! The following day, they held an escorted Jeep Ride through the country side which brought in an amazing $1,080 for our mission. We are very grateful to the Denton FarmPark and the attendees for their support of Back The Blue NC!
On Friday, August 25, 2023, Back the Blue NC presented a check for $2,300 to the Wake County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit in honor of K-9 Santos. On May 26, K-9 Santos was shot and killed in the line of duty.
"We can't thank Back the Blue NC enough for supporting our office during this time and for keeping the memory of Santos alive," Sheriff Willie Rowe said. "We also thank the community and every person that donated to their fundraiser or bought a t-shirt."
The money was raised through a GoFundMe and a t-shirt fundraiser, both organized by Back the Blue NC. The organization presented Santos' handler, Deputy Maria Fuentes, with her own K-9 Santos t-shirt.
"Today was the second time within a year that we have joined the Wake County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit for a memorial presentation. The loss of K-9 Santos came just months after K-9 Deputy Ned Byrd was killed in the line of duty. Having already met with and gotten to know the K-9 unit made this loss even more heartbreaking for our team," said Lindsay LiCausi, founder, and CEO of Back the Blue NC.
"We hope that this donation will help the unit in whatever need they see fit, such as expanding their team of K-9 partners or purchasing the equipment necessary to safely and efficiently perform their duties."
"Support from organizations like Back the Blue NC reminds our office that we do not go through difficult times alone," Sheriff Rowe said.
On Aug. 26th a bridge dedication ceremony was held in honor of Master Trooper John S. Horton who died in the line of duty on Jan. 3, 2022 in Rutherford County. John bravely served with the State Highway Patrol for 15 years. Trooper Horton is survived by his parents and his six children with Ashley Horton-Hill.
"The sign marking Trooper John Horton's name will be a continued tangible symbol recognizing the sacrifices that John made while reminding us of John's commitment to this community," said Pastor Johnson, who provided the invocation during the ceremony. "Not only are we memorializing John's sacrifice, we are also recognizing the importance of the perils every law enforcement officer faces in the performance of their duties."
For as little as 34¢ a day YOU can make a difference!
You can help assist the families of Fallen Officers by joining our 10-33 Assistance Program today at www.backthebluenc.org/1033 for as little as $10.33 a month.
It is our mission to always honor the Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and assist the families left behind. That is why Back The Blue NC established the 10-33 Assistance Program - a fundraiser created for this main purpose. By joining today, you can be assured that 100% of your monthly donation will be placed into our 10-33 Assistance Fund - for when the next family is affected by the tragic loss of their loved one.
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