Fallen officers are honored

A North Salt Lake police officer who died during a high-speed pursuit and a police chief killed in the line of duty 40 years ago posthumously received purple hearts Thursday and had their names added to the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial.

During the annual Peace Officers Memorial Service to honor all Utah officers who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep the state safe, plaques bearing the names of officer Charles Skinner and Cedar City Police Chief George Stanley Davis were added to the cinder-block wall.

"It's an honor to be here to honor my husband and the sacrifice he made," said Skinner's widow, Kaitlyn Skinner.

Charles Skinner, 30, was pursuing a stolen vehicle in November on U.S. 89 when he lost control of his car on a wet road and slammed into a concrete barricade.

His twins at the time of his death were just 3 weeks old.

"They miss their daddy every single day," Kaitlyn Skinner said. "He was a great man. He was a hero, not because he died in the line of duty, but because of how he lived. He was a good officer, a good dad and a good man."

Kaitlyn Skinner will travel next week to Washington, D.C., where her husband and other officers from across the United States will be honored at the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

Davis was police chief of Cedar City, but over the years he almost became forgotten until Utah Law Enforcement Memorial Board historian Robert Kirby recently found Davis' name while going through old newspapers and began researching how he died.

In 1969, Cedar City police were prohibited from leaving their weapons in their vehicles when they took their patrol cars home. One night in March of that year, when Davis had just ended his shift and arrived home, he opened the door to the passenger side to reach in and grab the car's rifle out of its stand, and it went off. Davis was shot in the torso and died during surgery after losing an incredible amount of blood, Kirby said.

On Thursday, Davis' name was added to the memorial.

"It was really special for me," said his daughter, Phyllis Ruth Davis Taylor, who was in her early 20s when her father was killed.

When her father died, Taylor said it was a really hard time for her because she didn't really understand what had happened and was left with a lot of questions. Thursday's ceremony helped put a lot of that to rest.

"It's very special. He deserved it," Taylor said.

After the new names were added, taps was played as well as "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes. Officers from nearly every jurisdiction in the state were represented.

Kirby reminded the audience of the sacrifices of Utah's fallen officers and how today's officers put their lives on the line every single day to keep their communities safe.

"When you think of them, think of more than just names on a wall," he said.

E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com