Wreath Laying Ceremony Held for Fallen Georgia Officer

The students, Metropolitan Police Officer, and the wreath.

Last Friday, October 3, the Memorial Fund welcomed a group of elementary students from three elementary schools in Monroe County, GA, for a special wreath laying ceremony. The students were on a long weekend tour of Washington, DC and wanted to include a visit to the Memorial to honor a fallen officer from their county.

The students carrying the wreath.

The ceremony was to honor Deputy Sheriff Michael Norris of the Monroe County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, who was shot and killed while responding to a suicide call on September 14, 2014. Deputy Norris was a Resource Officer at KB Sutton Elementary School in Forsyth, GA for two years before becoming a patrol officer.

The wreath against the wall.

Three students were chosen to carry the wreath. These students attended KB Sutton Elementary while Deputy Norris was assigned there. They carried a wreath of autumn flowers from the center of the Memorial to Officer Ivorie Klusmann’s (EOW 8/10/13) name on the wall. Officer Klusmann of the DeKalb County (GA) Police Department was the most recent law enforcement officer from Georgia to have his name engraved on the Memorial. The students were escorted by a Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Officer who kindly volunteered to take time out of his day to attend the ceremony.

The students, their chaperones, and Officer.

The sky was a bit overcast and there was a threat of rain, but that did not dampen the spirits of the group. There were many kind words said about Deputy Norris by those in attendance. They said that Deputy Norris was devoted to serving his community and always put others first. The students and their chaperones all wore matching memorial shirts for Deputy Norris that contained his badge number and EOW date. After the wreath was placed at the wall, a moment of silence was held in remembrance of Deputy Norris.

Thank you to the Monroe County students and their chaperones for attending the ceremony. Also, thank you to the Metropolitan Police Department for providing us with an officer for the ceremony.