Fallen Officers, Fallen Friends
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e-mail: webmaster@officersofavalon.com |
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Matt
and his K9, Diogi, were tracking the suspect in a thickly wooded area, when
the suspect ambushed them… Matt and Diogi were being buried together on 3
October. |
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Dispatches: Volume 1 No. 6 Samhain/Calan Gaef/Einherjar 2006 |
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One of our members lost a colleague in
action on 28 September 2006. Matt
Williams was killed by a suspect fleeing from a traffic stop. Another deputy
was shot in the leg, but will recover in time. Matt and his K9, Diogi, were
tracking the suspect in a thickly wooded area, when the suspect ambushed
them, and shot them to death. The suspect had buried himself under leaves and
mud, and popped up on Matt and Diogi as they walked upon him. Matt was shot 8
times, Diogi once. The suspect finished Matt off (he'd already been hit once
in the head) with a contact shot to the temple. The suspect then took Matt’s duty weapon
and both magazines. The suspect was located in the same
woods the next morning, less than 100 yards from where Matt and Diogi died.
The ERT unit saw the suspect concealing himself under a fallen tree. They
ordered him to show his hands. He showed one. They again ordered him to show
both hands. The suspect then pointed
Matt's .45 caliber semi-auto at them. The ERT team opened fire, killing him
almost instantly. No other officers were injured. Matt and Diogi were being buried
together on 3 October: Diogi was
cremated, and his ashes placed in Matt's coffin. They worked together, they
died together, and they will be in the Summerland together. Our members ask
your all for your prayers and thoughts to be with Matt's family, and all the
members Matt’s agency through this process. We are told that Matt was an
outstanding law enforcement officer, and an even better human being. Matt wasn’t Pagan. He was just a good
southern boy from a rural part of the county. Officers of Avalon has made a
donation to his memorial fund and we’re sure that his family would have any
problem accepting any sort of donations. Three funds have been set up for
Matt's family, if you all are interested in making a donation. They are: Matthew Williams Memorial Fund (Acct. No.
060022741) c/o C&C
Bank 114 N.
Tennessee Ave. Lakeland,
FL 33801 Polk County Sheriff's Department Benefit Account Community
Southern Bank 3234 S.
Florida Ave. Lakeland,
FL 33803 Matt Williams Family Trust Fund Wachovia Bank c/o Marilyn
Watson 203 Avenue A Winter Haven,
FL 33881 |
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Norse Funeral
for Retired Paramedic, Corrections
Officer The Pagan
and emergency services communities lost a friend on August 19. Eric Weiss suffered an unexpected heart
attack and died shortly thereafter.
Members of the Pagan community in Massachusetts, Maine and New
Hampshire gathered to celebrate his life at a Norse funeral. His magickal tools, favorite foods, hand
tools, woodwork projects, etc were gathered into a dragon long boat, Vingilótë, and
sent them to join him in Valhalla. His wife, Susan, tells me that
“There was drumming, dancing, tears and laughter as we saw the ship
sail off on waves of flame to him.”
Some of Eric’s ashes were placed in Highland Lake in Maine where he
spent 45 summers, the rest going to family members. These family
members will journey to the family farm in Sweden next summer to place him
there. He will be sent to the 4 elements, as he wished. A
scarecrow owl is his urn and it will be set in a place where he can watch
over the land and his gardens. Eric had
been a Paramedic at Franklin General Hospital on Long Island for 11 years and
I was a Corrections Officer for 10 years.
You can check out an obituary site prepared by one of his friends at:
http://www.nhwicca.org/Eric/ |
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Eric |