North Salt Lake officer is given hero's sendoff

NORTH SALT LAKE — Their uniforms were black, blue, tan and even white. But the hundreds of fellow law-enforcement officers who Friday paid final respects to fallen North Salt Lake officer Charlie Skinner weren't divided by boundaries Friday.

They were one.

Skinner, 30, died last week from injuries suffered in a car crash while in pursuit of a stolen vehicle.

Although Skinner, who had previously worked at the Salt Lake Police Department, had only worked for North Salt Lake for less than a year, it was evident at the funeral that even in his short time there he made a profound difference.

The Bountiful-Woods Cross Regional Center was surrounded by police cars and motorcycles as officers from all over the state and nation converged on the funeral services that celebrated the officer's love for his job, faith and, most importantly, his family.

His wife, Kaitlyn, was surrounded by family, friends and the many officers who were concerned for the Skinner family, whether they knew him or not. The Skinners married in 2006 in the Bountiful LDS Temple. They became parents to twins Zack and Emma just a month ago.

Inside the building, photos of the officer, some with his department and others with his wife and their newborn bundles, were displayed. Next to the photos, a blanket with the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial logo was on display with the phrase, "All give some, some give all."

Charlie Skinner's father in-law, Bountiful Police Sgt. Gary Koehn, in his eulogy, spoke of Skinner's desire to serve others, and the commitment and love he felt for his family.

"His life truly began when he married his 'Sunshine,"' Koehn said. He added later that, "Charlie loved his family and spent every possible moment with his wife holding the new babies."

Two of the officer's North Salt Lake co-workers spoke of how important the job had been to the fallen officer.

Sgt. Mitch Gwilliam described Skinner as soft-spoken, adding that while he didn't always say much, the words he did speak were powerful.

Lt. Craig Beckstrand, who participated in hiring Skinner, said he will never forget the enthusiasm he saw in the young officer who was taken too soon.

"I gave him his gun and badges, and a very big smile came upon his face when I gave them to him," Beckstrand said. "I then handed him the keys to his new cruiser and he lit right up. He asked the chief if he could take the car to show his family. He was so proud."