Heritage Association Of San Marcos Dedicates Memorial Tree To Officer Copeland
Officer Copeland, 58, and several other officers were serving an arrest warrant for a violent crime when the suspect open fired on them.
By, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor
On Monday, November 26, the Heritage Association of San Marcos hosted a tree dedication ceremony in memorial of Officer Kenneth Copeland.
The tree was planted at the San Marcos Activity Center to honor officer Copeland, who was killed in the line of duty on December 4, 2017.
Officer Copeland, 58, and several other officers were serving an arrest warrant for a violent crime when the suspect open fired on them. Officer Copeland was the first San Marcos Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty.
The dedication ceremony was held around 5:00 PM and was broadcasted live on the City of San Marcos’s Facebook page.
Among the speakers at the ceremony was San Marcos Chief of Police Chase Stapp and Jean Mooney, Riverwalk Park Committee Chair and member of the Heritage Association of San Marcos.
“The idea of dedicating a tree means a lot to me,” Chief Stapp said. “I think it makes a great deal of sense. I think a tree is a wonderful vessel that we can come to in a place like this and reflect upon our memories of Ken. If we take care of it, that tree will outlive most of us, and it will be here for generations to come.”
Mooney closed the ceremony with a statement about why an oak tree was chosen to commemorate Officer Copeland.
“We chose an oak tree for this memorial to Officer Copeland because he and the oak tree have a lot in common,” Mooney said. “The oak tree has long been prized for legendary strength, and Officer Copeland is known for his strength of character. The live oak produces wood so strong that the renowned vessel the U.S.S. Constitution contains Oak Timbers in its construction.”
Officer Copeland enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1999 and was still serving as an active reservist at the time of his death.
Members of Officer Copeland’s family were present for the ceremony and witnessed the unveiling on the memorial plaque.
