City officials are working in the Briarfield neighborhood to complete a memorial dedicated to fallen Hattiesburg Police Department officers Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate, who were killed in the line of duty nearly three years ago.
The memorial, which is made of carbon steel, is located at the intersection of East Fourth and Ryan streets, near the site where the officers were fatally shot during a traffic stop. One side of the memorial will be dedicated to Deen, with the other side honoring Tate.
“It’s a community effort,” said Assistant Police Chief Peggy Sealy, who spearheaded the memorial effort. “Both officers worked that area; they were heavily involved in the Briarfield community, and therefore I felt like having one location to honor their sacrifice was important and needed.
“It’s an honor to have a community that will come together and support the efforts to pull off something like this to remember our fallen officers.”
Finlo Construction crews began work on the memorial Feb. 1, and have since constructed a walkway around the site. Benches also will be added for visitors.
The memorial will be unveiled to the public at 3 p.m. May 9, the third anniversary of the officers’ deaths.
“I think remembering Deen and Tate is an important thing for not only the police department, but for the community,” said Ryan Moore, public information officer for HPD. “They gave the ultimate sacrifice in doing their job, and a memorial in a place like that is something that I think is important for people to be able to see when they pass by.”
Cost of the memorial is roughly $40,000, which was donated by private donors and the Housing Authority of the City of Hattiesburg.
“In terms of feedback from the community, it’s been positive – not just with the donations that we’ve received, but with the input from people,” Moore said. “It’s something that they’re excited about also, because they knew the officers.
“(Deen and Tate) worked that area, and it was more than just a police beat to them. They would get out, they would talk to kids, they would talk with members of the community. It was more than a job to them, and doing that made them a staple of that community. They were liked and they were loved in that area.”
Deen and Tate were shot and killed May 9, 2015, after pulling over a motorist who was driving suspiciously. Nine people were charged in connection with their deaths.
The man who allegedly pulled the trigger, Marvin Banks, died later in Forrest County Jail of apparent heart disease.
