BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Photos of law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2024 adorn a wall inside Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s office.

Sheriff Kirk began the memorial gallery about five years ago. Throughout each year, as he receives notifications of fallen officers, he places their photos on the wall. In 2024, he collected the pictures of 154 officers, helping to preserve their legacies.

“It was something I wanted to do out of respect for these officers and their families—to honor them,” Kirk said. “Each one of these officers sacrificed for us—for me and you.”

According to Kirk, many of these officers died in the line of duty from gunshot wounds, but their causes of death vary.

“A lot of them died in car wrecks while responding to calls for help,” Kirk said. “Some of them passed away from COVID-19 or heart attacks while on duty. Several lost their lives due to the World Trade Center attacks. They went into those buildings to perform rescues after 9/11, and the asbestos in the debris caused cancer.”

The sheriff emphasized that these officers were more than public servants.

“They were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors,” he said. “It’s a sad thing. Many of them had small children—and they all died doing what every police officer does every day: leaving their families behind to protect everyone else.”

Kirk explained that every officer who wears the badge and steps into harm’s way understands the risk of making the ultimate sacrifice.

“Every traffic stop could be your last one. Every domestic violence call—which is probably the most dangerous call—could be your very last,” Kirk noted. “For many of the men and women pictured on the wall, that’s exactly what happened. I remember one officer who responded to a call about a man with a gun in a store. He went inside to protect those people and was ambushed—shot and killed.”

Jan. 9 marked National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day—a day set aside for citizens and communities to thank police officers for their service.

“Sometimes it’s a thankless job,” Kirk said. “It’s a dangerous job—and I think some people don’t appreciate law enforcement enough until they need an officer.”

As the county sheriff, Kirk is no stranger to the sacrifices that come with the badge. During family meals or even trips to the bathroom, the phone is likely to ring.

“That part is tough, but someone has to do it,” he said. “You have to have a servant’s heart to do this job.”

Before concluding, Kirk remembered West Virginia State Trooper Cory Maynard, who was ambushed and killed on June 2, 2023, in Mingo County.

“He was responding to help somebody else and lost his life doing so,” Kirk said.

As Kirk begins the 2025 wall of fallen officers, he has already collected photos of four. The latest addition was a deputy sheriff shot and killed in Texas while serving a warrant on Jan. 15.

For Kirk, staffing shortages remain an officer safety concern.

“A lot of departments send several officers to serve a warrant,” he explained. “With traffic stops, if there are three individuals in a vehicle, the department sends three officers to the scene.”

Kirk does not have that kind of backup luxury but continues to serve nonetheless.

“I want us to have a better place to live,” he said.