LONGVIEW — About 200 people clad in blue braved a raw spring night Friday to pray and sing in honor of fallen Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputy Justin DeRosier and support police and other emergency personnel.
“It’s shocking that it happened in our area,” Nick Herring of Longview said about the line-of-duty shooting that claimed the life of the 29-year-old deputy April 13. The 20-year military veteran said “we’ve got to show our support” for DeRosier and all law enforcement officers.
Shawn McClellan, holding a thin blue line flag, noted that DeRosier and his family have many friends in the area.
“This is a close-knit community. I’m very proud to be part of it. It hurts.”
The 30-minute ceremony, held at the new gazebo at R.A. Long Park, was organized by the Facebook group Cowlitz County News as the culmination of a “Back The Blue Friday.” Community members were encouraged to wear blue to show support for law enforcement in the aftermath of DeRosier’s death.
The wearing of blue is a reference to the “thin blue line,” a law enforcement metaphor for the role of law enforcement as a bulwark between order and chaos and between criminals and their potential victims.
Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha said he was “overwhelmed” by the turnout. “This is the kind of support we need.
Sheriff Brad Thurman told the gathering that “it is important that we stand and know that evil will not prevail in Cowlitz County.”
A funeral is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.
