TREMONTON, Utah — A vigil Tuesday evening in front of the Tremonton city offices served a couple of purposes.
It was a chance for community members to bond with one another in the aftermath of Sunday’s senseless tragedy — the murder of two police officers, the wounding of another, along with a police K-9.
But it was also a chance for them to show support for local law enforcement by putting together blue ribbons. Those ribbons will now line the route of Wednesday’s Box Elder County Fair parade.
WATCH: Neighboring agencies step in to let Tremonton Garland Police mourn fallen officers
Someone who knows just how much that will mean is Detective Brent Jex.
He spent 20 years with the West Jordan Police Department, mainly in high-profile task force units like the gang, drug and fugitive apprehension squads.
He retired, then spent nearly 15 years leading the Utah Fraternal Order of Police.
But he decided to get back into law enforcement in the place where he grew up, in the Tremonton-Garland area. He was sworn in on April 1.
Jex said never in a million years did he think that just a few months later, he’d be mourning the loss of a law enforcement brother in arms — let alone two.
He said the show of support from the community means the world to him and all of his fellow officers.
“I don’t want to say it’s a necessary part. It’s just, I think it’s an essential part. They’re needed for both the community and the department, like we need it as much as the community does," he said. “I hope they understand how impactful this support is on us... It’s not just a cliché about the community lifting us up — it is literally happening, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
Wednesday marks the 100th Box Elder County Fair Parade. Jex said that even with short notice, many floats are already being reconfigured to honor the officers killed and wounded Sunday evening and as a show of support for law enforcement in general.
