Hundreds of people pay tribute to fallen police officer
HOT SPRINGS — Hundreds of law enforcement personnel, friends and members of the general public gathered in the Hot Springs Convention Center on Monday for the visitation and funeral service for fallen Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Brent Scrimshire, who was killed in the line of duty March 10.
“Today our hearts are heavy as we lay to rest an incredible young man and honor officer Brent Scrimshire and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his community; but we must also remember Brent the person, and the sacrifices he made every day to be the best husband, the best father, son, brother, uncle and friend he could be,” Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said during the service.
Rutledge said she had the privilege of meeting Scrimshire in 2016 when naming him the Southwest Region Officer of the Year.
“But now our Brent is the recipient of a much greater award; one of eternal life, when he heard those words we all hope to hear: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,’” she said.
Rutledge read a Bible passage from John Chapter 15: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“While our blue family’s heart has skipped a beat again,” she said, “I know it will continue to be strong every single day to fulfill what each were called to do, and to honor the sacrifice and memory of Officer Brent Scrimshire who was taken from us way too soon, and whose watch ended way too early.”
Hot Springs Police Chief Jason Stachey said Scrimshire’s “enthusiasm and devotion” for his family and friends was “legendary.”
“The connections he forged with the people he loved and the people he served wasn’t due to some nice guy character trait; it was simply ingrained in his DNA,” Stachey said. “It wasn’t just a small part of who he appeared to be; it was who he was. To the family, to those who knew him and even to those who only briefly encountered him, Brent was an exemplary human being.”
He said one of the things that made Scrimshire unique, both on and off the job, is that he believed in the “virtues of goodness and peace, even at the risk of sacrifice.”
“His goal was to balance
the scale of justice through service, kindness and benevolence,” Stachey said. “Galatians 5:13 tells us all to serve one another humbly in love, and that’s exactly what Brent did.”
Although this was not the “envisioned” ending to Scrimshire’s life, Stachey said, in the days to come, those with “heavy hearts” should strive to “serve and live” like he did.
In conclusion to his eulogy, he read a poem titled “Here, a Hero Stands.”
“Don’t think that I don’t see you, my family and friends today,” Stachey read, “trust me, this was in God’s plan the day I went away. I walked the walk, and took the chance, I wouldn’t take it back, I enjoyed the dance. There will always be my family in blue, and there are no regrets. Hold my wife, my babies and family, never let them forget. We all have fear when we leave our homes from the safety there within; if I had it to do all over, yes, I would do it again. God has a reason for everything, I know this is hard to understand, but I knew the reason he had for me when Jesus took my hand … Keep your heads up and try and dry those tears; I will see you all again in the coming years. I can tell you now how happy I was when through the gates I ran. He welcomed me with open arms as he said ‘Here, a hero stands.’”
Hot Springs Mayor Pat McCabe read a proclamation that declared March 16, 2020, as Officer 1st Class Brent Scrimshire Day in Hot Springs.
“Brent William Perry Scrimshire was born April 13, 1986, in Malvern, Arkansas, to Bill and Ann Scrimshire,” the proclamation says. “He graduated from Malvern High School in 2004, and Henderson State University in 2009. Whereas Brent joined the Hot Springs Police Department on December 31, 2012.”
According to the proclamation, Scrimshire excelled in every aspect of his job, earning recognition as 2013 Hot Springs Police Department Rookie of the Year, 2016 Southwest Arkansas Officer of the Year and Garland County Officer of the Year, and was twice named Hot Springs Police Department Officer of the Quarter.
“Brent was a reputable and honest policeman,” it continues. “He had a strong affinity toward people and they were drawn to him. He was warm and friendly and dedicated to protect and serve.”
With fellow officers knowing him as “Scrim,” according to the proclamation, Scrimshire cared for them, offering them advice on how to handle challenging situations.
“Brent loved telling stories, cooking and entertaining,” it says. “He was an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and driving his jet boat. Brent absolutely loved life. Whereas Brent was a loving and loyal husband to his wife Rachel, father to his two beautiful children: Wyatt and Riverlynn. He was a son, a brother and an uncle. He was a friend to all of his brothers and sisters in blue.”
In conclusion, the proclamation states Scrimshire will “surely be missed by all those who knew him, but he will never be forgotten.”
The service was concluded with the audio recording of an officer completing a ceremonial “End of Watch Call.”
“Dispatch to Officer Scrimshire; Scrim your watch has ended, we’ll take it from here. Thank you for your courage, honor and dedication to the community and the mark you left on it. End of watch: March 10, 2020.”