Two years after his death, Mount Holly remembers fallen officer with bronze statues

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. (WBTV) - During the second memorial service for fallen officer Tyler Herndon, Mount Holly unveiled new bronze statues in his honor.

This was added to the Memorial Plaza outside the police department Sunday afternoon.

Herndon lost his life on the job two years ago on Dec. 11, 2020. He was pursuing a breaking-and-entering suspect who turned around and shot him.

He would’ve celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday.

“I’m very close to our officers. Tyler was just a great young man it seems like a life just ended way too early,” Mount Holly police chief Brian Reagan said on Sunday.

“It was heartbreaking to everybody. How could this happen? How could this happen in Mount Holly? How could this happen to one of our own?” Mount Holly mayor Brian Huff asked.

Now, the two bronze statues stand as permanent reminders of Herndon’s bravery and heroism. The images of grieving officers and families, a speaker at the event said, are a nod to the brotherhood of police and the impact Herndon made on his community.

“We see a police car and we check our speed. We check what we’re doing but I think the perspective now is they’re here for us. They protect us. We’re here to support each other,” Huff said.

“Tyler was always the person that would step up when there was a need,” added Chief Reagan. “I think he would want all of us to continue on, going out and doing the job that he would be doing if he was here.”

Related: ‘My world fell apart’: Tyler Herndon remembered by his father, one year since line of duty death

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