Rain Saturday night was symbolic of the somber feeling in the hearts of those who attended a candlelight vigil for Hopkinsville Police Officer Phillip Meacham, but the rain didn’t stop a crowd from remembering the fallen hero.
Hundreds of people filled the memorial park behind the police department to honor Meacham’s life and show their support for his family. Lt. Adam Smith says his co-workers described him as brave and dependable, and Meacham set high standards that they will always strive to uphold.
Katie Ellis is familiar with this grief as her husband, Officer Daniel Ellis of the Richmond Police Department, was killed in the line of duty in 2015. She says she wished she could take the pain away, because Meacham was more than an officer, he was a friend, father and husband.
Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and urged everyone to join together to shine a light on Meacham’s family and the community.
Funeral services for Officer Meacham will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Christian County High School’s gymnasium and burial will follow in Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the gym.
