Late Kent County deputy honored at memorial in D.C.

Teresa Weakley
·2 min read

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Kent County sheriff’s deputy who died in 2021 is being honored at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.

Kent County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dave Cook died in November 2021 from complications of COVID-19, which he caught on the job. A dedication ceremony for the addition of his and other names to the memorial will be held Wednesday.

Tim Lewis, who has since retired from the sheriff’s office, worked closely with Cook for the last five years of his life. He said getting Cook’s name added to the memorial was a long process. There was an extensive investigation to prove that Cook’s death was caused by COVID-19 he caught while working.

“If you get shot in the line of duty or die in a car crash, it’s easy to prove. COVID was one of the hardest ones to prove that you caught (it) doing your job, and not just from the public. But law enforcement officers across the country were not exempt from going to work,” Lewis said.

Lewis has attended annual events in D.C. honoring fallen officers many times over the last 15 years and believes they are an important way to keep the memories of officers alive.

“(Dave’s) legacy is going to live on,” Lewis said. “His family and co-workers will be able to come back year after year and find his name and memorialize his legacy as a Kent County sheriff’s officer.”

The events in D.C. coincide with National Police Week. There was a candlelight vigil Monday night at the National Mall, honoring the about 280 names that were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year.

On Wednesday, families of the fallen officers will place a rose on the wreath at the U.S. Capitol, escorted on the stage as their loved ones names are read. A number of dignitaries will be there and the president typically gives a speech. Honor guards will then stand watch at the memorial in 10-minute intervals starting at noon and lasting until midnight.

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