Creek County Pays Respect To Fallen Officers In Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony

Law enforcement officers from across Creek County gathered in Sapulpa Monday night to pay their respects to fallen officers with the county’s 5th annual Wreath Laying Ceremony.

The ceremony honors 27 law enforcement officers killed in Creek County. Among the names is one officer who was killed more than 100 years ago.

Officers say it’s memorials like this that keep their legacies alive.

A memorial for fallen officers may never be enough to show the appreciation for those who wear the uniform or the community they put their lives on the line to protect.

That’s why Creek County Sheriff Bret Bowlin says gatherings like this ensure their names are never forgotten.

“What we do here is we lay a wreath at our memorial for the fallen officers but also to honor the military,” Bowlin said.

Bowlin is also a board member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial. He says the wreaths are given to the state and distributed to law enforcement agencies.

“We are one of those agencies, and our deputies will go out and lay wreaths on the gravesites of fallen officers,” Bowlin said.

Monday night, State Representative Kyle Hilbert had the honor of placing the wreath as he paid his respects among many officers and people who also joined in support.

Brooke Delong says she volunteers at as many ceremonies as she can.

“Some of these guys are my really good friends. Over the years, I’ve got to know them. You just know that it could be one of them one day, and that’s not something you want to think about,” Delong said.

Bowlin says it's support from people like Delong that motivates first responders, and being a part of memorial ceremonies provides a humbling experience for everyone who comes out.

“It's just an honor. it's just an honor to support them,” Delong said.

The county recently added a K9 memorial. Currently, it doesn't have any names, and Sheriff Bowlin says he hopes to never add to it, or the 27 officers killed in the line of duty.