Wiggins Police Department honors Stone County fallen officers

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Stone County hosted their annual Fallen Officer memorial service at Wiggins Police Department.

The county honored three fallen officers: Edward Odell Fite, Brandon “Teddy” Dougles Breland, and Henry Lee Bond. Wiggins Chief of Police Jeff Thomas said this memorial service is very meaningful for the department as well as for the family members.

“They respond to calls, and they never know whether they don’t ever know what is going to happen when they go to the call or a traffic call. They take that risk,” Thomas said.

Both Fite and Breland lost their lives on November 27, 2005. Their family members remember the day they received the life changing call.

“It was Sunday night. We had just been to church and my pastor preached that you do not bury. Parents don’t bury their kids. Kids bury their parents, and that night we were calling our pastor saying we were burying our kid,” Charlotte Breland said.

Chief Thomas said this event also helps spread awareness to the incoming officers on how dangerous the job really is.

“For the younger officers, it shows them what the risk is and why they are doing this,” Thomas said.

Fite’s wife, Kate Fite and Breland’s mom, Charlotte Breland both said the event makes them relive tough memories.

“It is nice that they do this, but it brings out that heartache that we do not like to deal with because we put it behind,” Breland said. “We start remembering that day and that night,” Fite said.

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