photo by Peter Christian
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One poignant moment during the funeral service of slain Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore was the 'just in case' letter that his widow, Jodi, shared with the hundreds who attended, and thousands who watched online.

In the letter, Deputy Moore encouraged his wife not to give in to hate, but to remember all the wonderful times they had together, and to enjoy life with their children.

Undersheriff Rich Maricelli with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office said after returning from the funeral service, that his department also encourages a more general letter to be prepared by his staff.

"We have in place a letter that outlines who you'd like to notify your next of kin and just to make these notifications in the event of some tragic event, so that we can follow the individuals' wishes as closely as we can," Maricelli said, who was deeply moved by the letter that Jodi Moore shared with the congregation at The Bridge church in Belgrade.

"It was absolutely moving, and I have the deepest respect and admiration for Jodi Moore to have the courage and the strength to get up and not only read that, but to acknowledge the hundreds of officers that were there, along with friends and family that were there to support her," he said. "It was truly remarkable."

Maricelli said whenever a brother officer is killed in the line of duty, agencies gather to reexamine their safety protocols, from a minor traffic stop to a situation where firearms are involved.

"We train, train and train some more, "Maricelli said. "Safety is our number one priority, so that our deputies can go home to their families at the end of their shift."

 

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