Friends and family come together to remember fallen officer Keona Holley
BALTIMORE -- Friends and family of a fallen Baltimore City police officer held a vigil on Friday evening to remember her life and legacy.
Officer Keona Holley was working an overtime shift Dec. 16, 2021, in the Curtis Bay neighborhood when she was shot ambush-style while sitting in her patrol car near Pennington Avenue and Hazel Street.
The mother of four died two days before Christmas after she was taken off life support.
Inclement weather last December at the one-year mark of her line-of-duty death pushed the vigil back to Jan. 20 of this year.
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, and Holley's family gathered at the intersection where the attack happened for a candlelight vigil.
"It's been a hard year, it's been a year of grieving, a year of healing and a year of finding a new direction," said Holley's sister, Lawanda Sykes.
Family members described Holley as a hard worker, funny, full of life, and loving. They said she was a determined person.
Speaking to the city as a whole, Sykes said the community can honor Holley's life by choosing to spread positivity as her sister did.
"You have to wake up and realize that everything that happens to you does not deserve a response," Sykes said. "If it's not providing you with peace, growth and joy, turn your back and walk away from it. If we continue to touch many with the love that we have, and spread love over the hate that's given, we can turn this around."
Two men were arrested for the officer's murder the day after the shooting.
The suspects, Elliot Knox and Travon Shaw, also face murder charges in the death of Justin Johnson, 38, who was shot and killed hours after Holley.
Court records show Knox is due back in court in Aug. while Shaw is expected to make an appearance at the end of Sept. Both are being held without bail.