SALT LAKE CITY — Two of Utah’s fallen officers were honored in a special ceremony on Capitol Hill Thursday.
Officer Nathan Lyday who was killed in the line of duty in 2020 was the main focus of the ceremony.
Nancy Lyday said her 24-year-old son Nathan had not been with Ogden Police long — just over a year — when he was shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call.
“It was short, but what a legacy,” said Lyday. “He left a lot.”
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Officer Lyday passed away May 28, 2020 and was laid to rest on his fifth wedding anniversary.
Being with her daughter in law, said Lyday, helps her feel near her son.
“It’s just nice to have a piece of Nathan’s love and his family,” said Lyday.
A piece of Officer Lyday, honored and blessed through prayer and speakers at the ceremony.
For another family, the memorial services helped uncover a piece of their history.
Patrolman Franklin Schaerrer served with Utah Highway Patrol, passing away days after trying to lift a vehicle in a traffic accident in 1945.
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Mark Schaerrer is the patrolman’s second cousin and has continued the legacy of service.
“I spent over 28 years in law enforcement,” said Schaerrer. “You just feel privileged to work in a field that gives so much and to work with people who believe in what they’re doing.”
Both the Lyday and Schaerrer families were able to add plaques with their fallen officer’s name on them to a memorial wall on the West side of the Utah State Capitol.
“You just see that plaque and his name, and you can’t believe it,” said Lyday.
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There are 147 police officers who have been killed in the line of duty, here in the State of Utah.
Officer Lyday will be honored at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C., which has been rescheduled for October due to COVID-19.
