A Friday sunrise service honored an OPD officer who died in the line of duty four decades ago.
On Aug. 19, 1982, a tragedy occurred in the Odessa police force.
A 36-year-old Odessan G.T. Toal, a corporal in the traffic division, was killed after suffering from massive head injuries sustained in a traffic accident.
Toal, who had been performing a funeral escort, was the first Odessa police officer who lost his life in the line of duty.
To mark the 40th anniversary of his death, a memorial service was held at sunrise Friday on the front lawn of the Odessa Police Department in front of the memorial statue.
During the short ceremony, the Odessa Police Honor Guard placed a wreath at the memorial statue. A prayer was led by the Chaplain Isaiah Tunson.
“We decided that when I became police chief that we were going to honor all the fallen officers on their anniversary because they made the ultimate sacrifice,” Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke said. “Today, we’re honoring G.T. Toal. It’s important to me and important to the department staff that we always remember and never forget the sacrifice. We also want to show our new members of the department that they joined something. They’ve joined a family. We want to show the community that this department remembers and has faith and honors people that go out and put their life on the line and at risk on a daily basis to make them safe.”
The wreath will be displayed from sunrise until sunset in remembrance of Toal.
An Odessa American article from Aug. 20, 1982 reported that Toal joined the Odessa Police Department as a patrolman and began his work as a motorcycle officer when he was assigned to the traffic division in December 1981.
Before arriving in Odessa, Toal was employed for about five years in the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department in Carthage, Mo.
“We just want to make sure the family members know that we remember,” Gerke said. “Again, this happened long before I came here and I’ve been here for 25 years. It’s just important to remember the sacrifice and show the community that we will always remember the sacrifice. It’s not just a funeral and we forget.”
