SALT honors fallen law enforcement officers; Nickell receives Fields award

In a solemn, one-hour ceremony Saturday, 52 law enforcement professionals originally from 13 Southeast Missouri counties who died in the line of duty from 1875 to last year were recalled by Seniors and Lawmen Together (SALT) at Cape Bible Chapel.

Among the recognized was the most recent officer on SALT's list to die in uniform: Cpl. Lonnie Lejeune of Sikeston, a member of the state Highway Patrol, who passed away at age 58 on Dec. 10.

Honoree

Frank Nickell, who works with Cape Girardeau's Kellerman Foundation for Historic Preservation and is a retired member of the history faculty at Southeast Missouri State University, was named this year's recipient of the Roger Fields Award of Excellence.

Nickell, 86, could not attend the event because of a recent injury.

Color guards from the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office, Jackson Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol perform a Posting of Colors during a Seniors and Lawmen Together ceremony honoring fallen law enforcement officers Saturday at Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau.Nathan Gladden ~Southeast Missourian

Fields, who rose through the ranks of the Cape Girardeau Police Department to become assistant chief, died in 2014 at the age of 50 from a medical condition. A permanent memorial bench and boulder in Fields's memory are in Cape County Park North.

Remarks

"It is our continuing prayer that no more names are added to these memorials," said Sandy Karsten, the first woman to serve as director of the state Department of Public Safety and the event's keynote speaker.

"Southeast Missouri is so supportive of law enforcement and your respect for the fallen is appreciated," she said, adding, "this memorial, any memorial, is a way to keep remembrance alive."

Of note

A poignant moment was witnessed at the beginning of the ceremony as a great-great-granddaughter of former Cape Girardeau Police Chief Nathaniel Hutson played the violin.

Hutson was killed nearly a century ago on duty: Oct. 7, 1922.

Current Cape Girardeau police chief and SALT president Wes Blair wrote a preface to the organization's memorial booklet, distributed to all attendees, which read in part:

"Nationally, 2021 was a challenging year for the law enforcement community. There were 608 officers taken from us in the line of duty, almost a 46% increase over the previous year. This year alone, our very own state of Missouri has already tragically lost five officers — three due to gunfire from criminals," Blair wrote.