OFFICERS MOURN SON OF ONE OF THEIR OWN

CHAFFEE -- Joda Matthews Griggs' casket lay closed in front of the pulpit Tuesday morning with a fiery bouquet of red flowers on top of it.

In the audience, red and black Chaffee High School varsity jackets mixed with the navy and drab green uniforms of police officers from a dozen different departments.

The 16-year-old Chaffee High School sophomore was killed Saturday night on a dark road just one mile east of his home town. He was driving home from a night out when his car was struck by an alleged drunk driver.

He died on the scene. A passenger, Dennis M. Graviett, 15, also of Chaffee, was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital with moderate injuries.

The driver of the other car, Justin A. Dunning, 22, of Delta, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. According to police, a breathalizer test administered after the accident measured Dunning with a blood-alcohol level of .176. A level of .10 is considered intoxicated.

The day before the funeral, Chaffee Police Chief Keith Carr sent out a notice to surrounding law enforcement agencies inviting them to the ceremony.

"His father is a 13-year veteran of the Chaffee police force," Carr said. "We just tried to organize something that would show support and kind of draw attention to drinking and driving.

"We thought maybe this would be a good way to maybe make people think twice about drinking and driving, especially over the holidays."

Griggs' parents, Joda and Beverly Griggs, said their son will never open his Christmas presents.

"They're still under the tree," Beverly Griggs said. "We told him we loved him every day of his life and that we were proud of him.

"Because we always felt like you just never know. You see so much grief in the world you have to tell them every day."

"We don't want it to happen to any other family ever again," her husband said. "Don't drink and drive and kill anybody else's son or daughter or grandma or grandpa or father, or mother. Don't drink and drive and kill anybody."

The younger Joda Griggs had turned 16 in November, received his driver's license and was presented with his first car. According to Carr, Griggs hadn't been drinking at the time of the accident.

Officers from as far away as Dexter, Charleston and Poplar Bluff contacted Carr about attending. Scott City Police Chief Danny Club drove a car in the precession. Morley, Sikeston, Scott County, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County were all represented.

"Being a police officer is one thing, but parent to parent that's a strong emotional tie as well," Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Carl Kinnison said. "Any parent can empathize with another parent who lost a child. You can only imagine how tough that has to be.

"It's tragic and at this time of the year it only compounds it."

Joda Griggs cried when Carr told him of the response from his fellow officers.

"That was wonderful," he said. "If it can save one life by all those guys showing up here, it's worth it."