With the funeral service for fallen Johnson City Police Officer David Smith set for Friday, UHS Wilson Medical Center and all UHS offices in Johnson City will still be open, but warn that patients and visitors should be prepared to take alternate routes to the hospital. Main Street from St. Charles to Arch Streets will be closed Friday from 9 to 2 o’clock, and access to Wilson Hospital will still be available by coming from the Floral Avenue and railroad tracks area.
Parking lots at the Main/Baldwin Street lot, the Main Street lot adjacent to the Post Office, and the Baldwin/Arch Street lot will all be cleared by 5 o’clock Friday morning and closed during the funeral service. Law enforcement will be redirecting any traffic, and on-street parking is expected to be very limited in the area around Wilson Hospital. The Johnson City Courts and Town of Union Courts will also be closed all day Friday.
Cadets currently enrolled in the Broome County Law Enforcement Academy have now been trained how to salute, in order to show respect for fallen police officer David Smith. But for the cadets, it wasn’t just about facing movements, proper pivets or presenting arms. When the Cadets salute Officer Smith tomorrow, it will be a reminder of the harsh reality that being a police officer is often a difficult job.
Furman stated that she knew the risks and responsibilities when she signed on to be a police officer, but admitted that this doesn’t make the news of officer Smith’s tragic death any easier.
“It’s a sense of shock more than anything for them. Until you see it first hand and actually realize the magnitude of it. Unfortunately, in the 20 years I’ve been on, I’ve been to too many funerals. Just to see the magnitude of how big these funerals are is heart-wrenching,” said Furman.
Michael Hepler, Johnson City Police Department, explained how training had to be slightly altered to ensure that the cadets were ready to salute Officer Smith.
“We’re learning about facing movements and how to make proper pivets when we are doing a column right or a column left and how to present arms,” said Hepler.
Others on the force said that remembering Officer Smith will drive them even further to do the job.
Hepler stated, “It makes me want to do the job even more to protect people from people like that.”
Officer Smith’s tragic death is a reminder to all officers on duty that each call is different and any situation could turn dangerous.
“Sometimes you go on your day-to-day calls and you get it set in your head what that call is going to be before you get there. Huge mistake,” said Hepler.
The law enforcement community will honor Officer Smith and his family at calling hours today and a funeral service tomorrow.
