Thousands Mourn Fallen Maryland Deputy

HTIMONIUM, Maryland -- Harford County Sheriff's Office Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon was laid to rest Saturday afternoon, his casket flanked by dozens of police officers in dress uniforms who traveled from as far away as Aurora, Colo., and Chicago to pay tribute to the slain officer.

DFC Logsdon's flag-draped casket was escorted in a long motorcade from his service at Harford Community College to Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who spoke during the funeral, also joined the Logsdon family and the deputy's fellow officers for the burial.

Harford County deputies stood at attention as the hearse entered the cemetery at 3:30 p.m. Officers carried the casket to the grave site, followed a short time later by DFC Logsdon's family.

Cpl. Warren Brooks, of the Sheriff's Office, held DFC Logsdon's hat throughout the burial service.

Ben Cachiaras, senior pastor of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, which hosted viewings for DFC Logsdon and his fellow slain deputy, Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey, as well as the latter's funeral on Wednesday, presided over the burial service.

The two deputies were fatally shot, Senior Deputy Dailey first by a man he was questioning inside an Abingdon restaurant and Deputy First Class Logsdon by the same man, as he and other deputies pursued him. The suspect, David Brian Evans, 68, was then fatally shot by other deputies.

Cachiaras cited a Bible passage from Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, how the "light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

"This makes it clear that [whatever] power we may have is God, not ourselves," Cachiaras said, adding that while a person's body might decay, "inwardly, our spirits are being renewed day by day."

Pipe, drum and bagpipe players performed songs and hymns, including "Amazing Grace," "Over There" and "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

Ten helicopters from several law enforcement agencies, the Maryland State Police and Baltimore Police Department, flew over the cemetery in a loose formation in tribute.

A 21-gun salute and the playing of taps followed the flyover.

The traditional last call ceremony for fallen officers came next – a dispatcher announced the "end of watch" for DFC Logsdon as of 12:06 p.m., Feb. 10, when he fell 10 minutes after Senior Deputy Dailey.

"Despite our pain, we might go from here in grace and peace," Cachiaras said.

The folded American flag from DFC Logsdon's casket, as well as a folded Maryland flag, were presented to the fallen deputy's relatives by Hogan and Harford Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.

Prior to the arrival of the body, Baltimore County police officers and deputies from the Harford Sheriff's Office stood at the ready at the cemetery.

"He's a member of our family," BCPD spokesperson Cpl. John Wachter said. "A different agency, same family."

DFC Logsdon's grave site is in the Fallen Heroes section of the cemetery, where he was buried among other fallen public safety officers.

His Sheriff's Office patrol car was parked near the grave, draped with black bunting.

A cover created for DFC Logsdon's burial vault has a photograph of the uniformed deputy, the Sheriff's Office logo and the U.S. Army seal and images of a golf ball, the Seattle Seahawks logo and poker chips, representing three of his passions.

"Each one of those was touched on during the [funeral]," Sheriff's Office DFC Jim Schultz said at the cemetery.

There were about 35 pipe, drum and bagpipe players, representing multiple police and fire agencies from Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Camden and Monmouth counties in New Jersey, and man others.

"We have people from police departments and fire departments from throughout the region," said pipe major Mark Richards, who is retired from the Howard County Fire Department.

"Essentially, these two guys paid the ultimate sacrifice; they died in the line of duty," Richards said. "We're just here to pay tribute to their sacrifice, honor them and their families."

Saturday was sunny, with temperatures in the low 60s, a break from days of snow and bitter cold, but several people who attended the services were treated after collapsing.

Cristie Kahler, spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, noted afterward that the officers had been standing through most of the day and were struggling in unseasonable warmth and the stress of the services.

Several of the police officers who came to the services for both deputies from outside Maryland were representing the nonprofit Brotherhood for the Fallen, which sends members around the country to funerals of officers who die in the line of duty.

"It's a great display for the blue brotherhood," Det. Terry Shields, of the Chicago Police Department, said of the turnout Saturday.

Ofc. Bill Hummel, of the Aurora Police Department, said he has attended services for officers in Colorado, but Saturday's memorial was his first-out-of-state service.

"I'm incredibly honored to be here," Hummel said.

Tribune News Service