‘Jason was a hero’: Officer Shuping honored by Concord community one year after line-of-duty death

CONCORD, N.C. (WBTV) - Jason Shuping served his community as a hero.

He was remembered by those who knew him as a dedicated police officer who was committed to serving his Concord community.

“Jason was a hero, full of honor and humility,” said Rev. Richard Myers, who officiated Officer Shuping’s funeral.

Myers said Shuping embodied the three core values of the Concord Police Department: Competence, courage and integrity.

The Concord police officer was killed in the line of duty, exactly a year ago, on December 16, 2020.

“We are mourning the loss of a beloved family member who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” the Concord Police Department said in a statement following Shuping’s death.

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A year later, the community is still paying tribute to the man who gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting the community.

On Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the officer’s death, the City of Concord hosted a dedication ceremony for Shuping, along with Officer William Kearns, who was fatally shot while investigating a disturbance on Sept. 4, 1899.

A new statue dedicated to the memory of those two fallen police offices in Concord was unveiled.

The memorial statue will be a permanent fixture outside of police headquarters. It features a bronze statue of a peace officer, surrounded by columns with blue lighting, and a plaque engraved with Officer Shuping’s likeness, name, and End of Watch date.

Shuping, a graduate of East Rowan High School, had been with the Concord Police Department for 1.5 years.

Shuping was killed in a shooting on Gateway Lane near Bruton Smith Boulevard just before 11 p.m. on December 16.

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A call about a crash came in around 10:18 p.m., where a woman said her car had been stolen near the Gateway Lane area.

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Shuping and another officer responded and approached a man matching the suspect’s description. Police say that’s when the suspect pulled out a gun and began shooting toward officers.

Shuping and another officer were shot. Shots were then exchanged with the suspect, identified by the NCSBI as 29-year-old Jeremy Maurice Daniels, and two other officers.

Police said Daniels was killed in the shootout.

In just the hours after Shuping’s death, a memorial grew outside the police station where his patrol car was covered by flowers, signs and balloons. Blue ribbons and blue lights were on display in honor of Shuping.

Concord Police Chief Gary Gacek said Officer Shuping’s unit number, #4434, was retired within the Concord Police Department.

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper ordered NC flags to fly at half-staff for Shuping.

Shuping’s memory was honored in July in the “End of Watch Ride to Remember,” that rolled into Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. The “End of Watch Ride to Remember” is a group of motorcycle riders from the state of Washington escorting a 41-foot trailer across the country to honor fallen officers from the prior year.

Gacek also presented the Medal of Valor award and Purple Heart award to Ms. Haylee Shuping on behalf of her husband, Officer Shuping.

Following the death of Shuping, the Concord City Council approved a $100,000 budget amendment to fund a new Fallen Officer Memorial. The city also established the nonprofit Concord Police Foundation to assist officers who are injured or killed in the line of duty and their families.

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