DECATUR -- Police officers from four area agencies, including the Benton County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police, Gravette and Centerton Police Departments, joined the Decatur Police Department May 15 for a balloon launch to honor all fallen officers killed in the line of duty.
The group gathered near the Decatur police station to launch 150 red, white and blue balloons, one for each officer who lost his or her life in the last 10 years.
Shortly after 2 p.m., the balloons took to the sky in a hail of red, white and blue. On occasion, a balloon popped, making a sound resembling gunshots and sending the K9 officers into a barking frenzy.
The balloons rose higher and higher into the atmosphere as they carried their message of hope. But not all of them managed to clear the trees in the Dollar General parking lot across from the police station.
As soon as the balloons hit the trees, they exploded in a hail of simulated gunfire. The burst balloons sounded like a 21-gun military salute and added to the tribute to the fallen officers, including the two from Decatur.
General News on 05/23/2018