Eastern Iowa law enforcement agencies to attend services for fallen Des Moines officers

CEDAR RAPIDS — Eastern Iowa law enforcement will be well represented at the services Wednesday for one of the two Des Moines police officers killed in a crash on Saturday.

The Des Moines Register reports that 2,000 police officers from across the country are expected to join an 8 to 10 mile procession Wednesday for Des Moines police officer Susan Farrell. Among them will be officers and deputies from law enforcement agencies in the corridor, including the Linn and Johnson county sheriffs' offices and Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Marion, University of Iowa and Coralville police departments.

'Law enforcement, like many professions, is a brotherhood,' said Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, whose department will be represented by six deputies. 'Law enforcement has always paid a major tribute to officers when they're killed in the life of duty because it's the ultimate sacrifice.'

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said six members of the department's honor guard traveled to Des Moines on Wednesday. Any other deputy that wanted to attend was also allowed to go, as long as minimum staffing levels were maintained back in Linn County.

'We show up to work each day with the hope and expectation that at the end of our shift, we get to go home safe,' Gardner said. 'When that doesn't occur — and, unfortunately, it happens all too often — there needs to be a show of support, not only from the community, but from other law enforcement agencies. It's important for us to show that solidarity and respect for the other officers.'

Farrell, 30, and officer Carlos Puente-Morales, 34, along with an inmate they were transporting, 32-year-old Tosha N. Hyatt, were killed Saturday morning on Interstate 80 near Waukee when their SUV was slammed head on by a Ford Taurus that was driving the wrong way down the interstate. The Taurus was driven by 25-year-old Benjamin Beary of Knoxville, who also died in the collision. The crash remains under investigation.

Services for Puente-Morales are scheduled for Friday.