Memorial dedicated for fallen Coeur d’Alene police officer
Four-year-old Gemma Moore often points out the K27 call sign of her fallen father, Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore, a tribute seen on hundreds of vehicles in Kootenai and Spokane counties.
By the time she’s in high school and her teenage brother, Dylon, is an adult, many of the popular stickers will have peeled and withered.
The shrine dedicated in their father’s memory, the K27 Forever Memorial, aims to grace downtown Coeur d’Alene as long as its name suggests.
Hundreds of patrons flocked to McEuen Park on Tuesday for the dedication of the fountain, a picturesque water feature made of stone memorializing the Lake City’s officer shot and killed in the line of duty May 5, 2015.
“It means so much to our family to have this beautiful sanctuary to remember Greg and honor all of our law enforcement,” said Moore’s wife, Lindy, her voice carrying over the sound of the shrine’s cascading water. “Greg would love it. The design perfectly reflects his love of nature. The location, in the heart of our city, represents his love for Coeur d’Alene and his innate ability to bring people together.”
Two police helicopters soared over the memorial – a stone’s throw from Lake Coeur d’Alene and the scenic woods of Tubbs Hill – to commence the ceremony as multiple local law enforcement agencies solemnly marched to the sound of bagpipes.
Three years after Moore’s slaying and roughly six months after his killer, Jonathan Renfro, was sentenced to death, architect Jon Mueller’s design was shown to the audience under sunny skies.
The memorial presentation coincided with national Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
Moore’s close friend and fellow law enforcement officer, Johann Schmitz, hopes the shrine not only evokes the memory of Moore but all who died in the name of service.
“To myself and my colleagues, this memorial will be associated with memories of Greg,” Schmitz said, “But to others in this community, it may bring fond memories of others who sacrificed themselves in the service of their community or loved ones. That’s what is special about this place.”
A fundraiser-driven project spearheaded by the Panhandle Parks Foundation, the memorial has three waterfalls – individually carrying labels of Respect, Honor and Remember – that cascade over a submerged blue light, representing the thin blue line.
“It reminds us to remember our current and former law enforcement personnel who protect us everyday, and it’s a lasting tribute to Sgt. Greg Moore,” Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer said.