St. Clair County on Tuesday hosted its annual memorial to honor the lives of 51 local law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
This year’s ceremony honored 24-year-old Brian Pierce Jr., the Brooklyn Police officer who was killed in the line of duty, on Aug. 4, 2021, while he was attempting to stop a fleeing car by deploying spike strips on the McKinley Bridge in Venice.
The public and law enforcement were invited to attend the St. Clair County Law Enforcement Memorial Service at the sheriff’s department off North Fifth Street in Belleville to pay respects to the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in their efforts to keep communities safe.
Dupo Police Sgt. Patrick Carrier, who was shot in the line of duty on Feb. 26, was given a citation of valor for “an exceptional act of courage without regard to personal safety while such act could result in great bodily harm or death to himself while confronting an armed and dangerous adversary.”
Carrier responded to a call for assistance from the sheriff’s department regarding a complaint about gunshots fired and a man with a weapon on McBride Avenue in unincorporated St. Clair County near Dupo.
Carrier arrived on scene and saw the man walking around with a weapon. The officer “engaged with the armed suspect and was shot in shoulder,” according to the citation.
“Sgt. Carrier fell to the ground. The gunman walked over to Sgt. Carrier with his rifle and fired an additional shot that struck him the neck,” the citation states.
The suspect, Reginald O. Allen, also shot and killed a 46-year-old Darryl T. Mantz. He later killed himself.
The law enforcement community calls Carrier a credit to himself and the community for putting himself in danger to stabilize an extremely dangerous and chaotic situation.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Hendricks said Carrier’s act of bravery certainly prevented the loss of more lives.
“I think it’s important for all of us in law enforcement to come together to honor the officers and the sacrifices they made to protect our communities,” Hendricks said.