LORAIN, Ohio — As the community prepares to lay fallen officer Phillip Wagner to rest, tributes to his life and support for the Lorain Police Department have been pouring into the city. Other law enforcement agencies are also stepping in to give Lorain officers space to grieve.
An empty cruiser outside Lorain City Hall was overflowing with flowers and messages Tuesday. It sat feet away from a fallen officers statue covered with rosary beads and candles. The memorial has been growing since the death of Wagner.
“You don’t have to look too far to see that people care and that they want to make that known. It means the world to all of us,” said Lorain Police Capt. Jacob Morris.
Last Wednesday, three Lorain officers were shot in what investigators are calling an ambush attack.
READ MORE: Lorain police officers ambushed by gunman with 'arsenal of weapons'
Wagner and Officer Peter Gale were taking a lunch break on a dead-end street on Lorain’s East Side when police say a man with an arsenal of firearms and explosives opened fire. Officer Brent Payne responded to help and was also shot.
The suspect died in the gunfight. Gale was treated for a hand injury at Mercy Hospital in Lorain. Payne and Wagner both suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to MetroHealth in Cleveland. Wagner died on Thursday.
“I was always hoping it would not happen in the city of Lorain,” said Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley. “It certainly could’ve been a lot worse. This person had a lot of fire power and explosives.”
Bradley told News 5 the city has been in shock and mourning since the incident. He also said the tragedy has brought out the best in people, pointing to the pledges of support from around the state and a showing of compassion from near and far.
“It’s very heartening for a community to come together and I just hope it continues,” said Bradley.
Other law enforcement agencies have not hesitated to help in Lorain following the ambush. From Tuesday to Thursday, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and at least a half dozen other departments will be supplying officers to patrol Lorain so its officers can attend Officer Wagner’s funeral and grieve.
“I feel honored being able to come into the city and stand in for them while they do the honoring of their fallen brother - of our fallen brother,” said Sgt. Damian Rodriguez of the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
Major A.J. Torres added, “He’s not part of our agency, but he’s a brother in blue. So we all stick together. It’s an extended family.”
Lorain leaders said they’re grateful for the support, and they’re leaning on it as they cope with the tragedy.
“On days that seem as cloudy as today, you don’t have to look too far here at the city of Lorain to see a little bit of sunshine,” said Morris. “As a matter of fact, there’s a lot of sunshine. It’s our community. It’s the support we’ve received, not just from our public but from visitors all around northeast Ohio and really around the nation.”
A memorial service for Officer Wagner is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Rocket Arena.
READ MORE: Memorial service announced at Rocket Arena for Lorain officer Wagner
Wagner's funeral will be open to the public, and the community is preparing to say its final goodbye to him.
“I like to tell people when you say goodbye, they say hello,” said Rev. Charles Butcher.
Butcher and his wife traveled to Lorain to drop off handmade blue crosses to the Lorain police department, hoping to provide comfort as they prepare for Wagner’s funeral on Wednesday.
“It was put on our hearts, mainly my wife's heart, to do something special for the precinct here,” said Butcher.
Butcher and his wife have shown their support for Wagner and his family by attending the procession for Wagner when his body was being taken to Liston Funeral Home, and on Wednesday, they plan to attend his funeral at Rocket Arena.
“His legacy will live on, and we will be here to mark the memorial, and he will not be forgotten,” said Butcher.
