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MOAB – Riding four-wheelers and side-by-sides on trails is part of what draws thousands to southwestern Utah every year. You’ll see them almost any weekend of the year, especially with Memorial Day approaching.
But even with so much to do in the area, Jenny Brotherson would rather tell people riding the trails about her son.
“I could talk about Cody for hours,” said Brotherson during a ceremony Saturday morning. “Seventeen months ago, our lives were forever changed.”
Cody Brotherson was a West Valley City police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
“To this day, there is a gaping hole in our hearts that will never be filled,” said Jenny Brotherson, while speaking into a microphone on a stage in front of hundreds of people.
The Utah Peace Officer Association held its annual trail ride this weekend. It takes place on the Fallen Peace Officers Trail, where those who died in the line of duty in Utah are remembered.
The trail is 14 miles long, and at every mile there is a sign honoring a fallen officer. Every year, different officers are remembered.
“Those are the kind of men and women who deserve the highest honor,” said Janica Ellsworth.
She was here honoring her late husband, Utah Highway Patrol trooper Eric Ellsworth.
Janica Ellsworth and Jenny Brotherson were given Purple Hearts, medals to honor their loved ones.
“Eric wasn’t the type of person that liked recognition, but I think it’s so important we honor these men and women that have given their lives for their state and community,” said Janica Ellsworth.
Cody Brotherson and Eric Ellsworth died in the past couple of years, but this event honors all fallen law enforcement officers – even those who died more than a hundred years ago.
One sign honored U.S. Marshal William Storey, who died in 1870.
