Utah officers support grieving families during Police Week in Washington, DC

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Utah officers are volunteering with COPS, or Concerns of Police Survivors, this week in Washington.
• Volunteers, including Draper Police Capt. Pat Evans, assist families of fallen officers during National Police Week.
• COPS also offers guidance on what to expect in the days ahead during National Police Week.

WASHINGTON — For many families arriving in the nation's capital this week, it's their first time attending events tied to one of the hardest moments of their lives.

"Everybody says it's the greatest club you never want to be part of," said Draper Police Capt. Pat Evans. He is part of COPS, which stands for Concerns of Police Survivors, a national nonprofit that supports families and coworkers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

He became involved after his friend and colleague, Draper Police Sgt. Derek Johnson was killed in 2013.

Since then, Evans has worked with other volunteers, many of them law enforcement officers themselves, to help families navigate the days, weeks and years after a loss.

"When you've experienced a line of duty death, you see a different side of law enforcement, and you see families and folks that if you have the ability to support you, support them, and you give back," he said.

During National Police Week, that support often begins the moment families arrive.

Volunteers with COPS help with check-in events, meet with families and officers and offer guidance on what to expect in the days ahead, from memorial services to the National Candlelight Vigil.

Several members of Utah law enforcement are among those volunteers this week, helping welcome thousands of officers and families from across the country.

Those Utah volunteers include Max Morgan with the Utah County Sheriff's Office; Chris Marquez with the North Salt Lake Police Department; and Chad Stone, married to Shante Johnson, Draper Police Sgt.Derek Johnson's widow.

They know that for many families, the experience of National Police Week can be overwhelming.

That's why Evans said that he and his fellow volunteers being there, with a shared understanding, can make all the difference.

"It's heavy at times, but it's rewarding, and being the smiling face for these people that come in here not knowing what they're going to experience, that's what we do," he said.

As National Police Week continues, many of those families will gather for the National Candlelight Vigil, where the names of fallen officers are read aloud — a moment that is both emotional and deeply meaningful for those left behind.

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The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Alex Cabrero

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Alex Cabrero is an Emmy award-winning journalist and reporter for KSL since 2004. He covers various topics and events but particularly enjoys sharing stories that show what's good in the world.