New Hampshire Marks First Anniversary Of Greenland Police Chief's Death
GREENLAND, N.H. (CBS) - It was one of those times where silence is more powerful than any words. Police officers from all over the seacoast joined Greenland citizens in a moment of silence outside the police station to mark the one year anniversary of Police Chief Michael Maloney's death.
Maloney was killed and four other police officers were shot during a drug raid on the home of Cullen Mutrie in 2012.
Maloney is still very much a part of Greenland. His officers have banded together in their grief to cope with a very difficult year.
"It's still a rollercoaster. There's good days and bad days sometimes something small will remind someone of Chief Maloney and it'll be kind of tough on them," said Tara Laurent who took over as chief the night Maloney passed away.
All over the town of Greenland Thursday, residents wore black ribbons with a thin blue line on them. The town administrator made more than 5000. Many of them have been distributed at the Suds and Soda, a market that is a gathering place for Greenland.
It's also the place Maloney stopped every morning for his coffee.
"He was in here every morning like clockwork," recalls Jason MacKenzie.
For MacKenzie the memories are fresh. Especially the way the chief would joke with his daughter every day before she left for school. MacKenzie's daughter would pretend to steal things and the chief would pretend to apprehend her.
"She would always come running in, run up to him give him a big hug."
Marcia Schallehn lives down the street from the house where a gunman took her friend's life. It brings back painful flashbacks. She had received an email from Maloney just minutes before the shooting.
"I walk by there probably two or three times a day, drive by and it's just a remembrance," she says.
For so many in Greenland today is a day of mourning. They are struggling to move on while promising never to forget.
"We miss him. We're going to keep him with us and today is really hard," Laurent said.
The entire police department will head to Washington D.C. next month as Chief Michael Maloney's name is added to the law enforcement memorial. It will be an emotional time, but Laurent says they'll get through it together.
