Dozens of Atlanta police officers gathered Wednesday night at Buckhead's Park Bench Restaurant. They shook hands and spoke warmly of Officer Shawn Smiley.
Officer Smiley and fellow APD Officer Richard Halford were killed in a helicopter crash while searching for a missing child earlier this month. Friends say Officer Smiley was more than just a good cop. He was a devoted husband and father of three young children—Elizabeth, Victoria and William.
Larry Hall, manager of the Park Bench Restaurant, says it's the children he was thinking of when he decided to hold the fundraiser. He wanted to give them a Christmas he believes they really deserve after such a horrible tragedy.
Friends say those same children are the ones helping their mom, Terra, get through losing her husband.
APD spokesperson Officer Kim Jones told FOX 5 the donations from the fundraiser will go directly to the Smiley family for Christmas, or whatever they may need. The Park Bench Restaurant provided food and drinks for those who attended, and accepted donations for the family.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:27 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:27:20 GMT
Georgia's right to life group is in a dispute with the national pro-lifers.
Georgia's right to life group is in a dispute with the national pro-lifers. The Georgia group has campaigned against a new far-reaching House bill on abortion because it says that the bill doesn't save enough lives.
