Phoenix honors city employees lost in line of duty
Feb 13, 2014, 12:10 PM | Updated: 12:33 pm
PHOENIX — The City of Phoenix honored three employees Thursday who were killed while on the job.
The 20th ceremony paid tribute to Police Officer Daryl Raetz and firefighter Brad Harper, who died the same weekend last year and firefighter Brandi Schamadan.
Harper died after he was crushed between two fire vehicles. Raetz was killed while working the scene of a DUI arrest, where he was struck by a car.
Schamadan died in March from cancer developed from chemical exposure while fighting fires.
Families for all three attended the service. Raetz’s wife Stephanie said it has been a year of memories and staying strong for her 6-year-old daughter Tatum.
“It’s really and not something I’d be doing. It’s emotional being here,” she said. Were he alive, she said she would tell her husband, “I love you and thank you.”
Mayor Greg Stanton, Vice Mayor Bill Gates, Fire Chief Bob Khan and Police Chief Daniel Garcia joined the families for the 90-minute service.
