Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Video
The parents of slain Girard Police Officer Justin Leo reflect on their son and how he will be remembered.
By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS
GIRARD
Pat and David Leo, parents of fallen Girard patrolman Justin Leo, want to honor their son’s legacy the only way he would have wanted – by helping others.
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David Leo, scholarship chairman of the Trumbull County Chapter of the National Association of the Wolves, said he and his wife plan to establish scholarships in their son’s honor.
He said there has been a generous financial outpouring by the community and surrounding police departments, and the money would be best spent by giving a Girard student the chance to attend college.
Getting a degree was something Justin Leo hoped to do. He attended business school in Toledo for a year, then attended Youngstown State University for a semester majoring in education.
Then, David became friends with John Norman, now Girard police chief, who was a Girard school resource officer at the time. The two families spent a lot of time together, and Justin began going on patrol rides with Norman.
Justin told his father one day he decided he was going to become a police officer.
David said he couldn’t stop gushing about his son when Justin became a Girard police officer in 2012.
“We were so proud of him,” Pat Leo said.
She said they discussed the dangers of the job and what could happen with their son.
“We knew it could happen. We just thought we had more time,” she said tearfully. “We didn’t think God would take him yet. It’s hard because we still expect to see him walk through that door. We never got to say goodbye.”
One thing that helps David and Pat through the sleepless nights is hearing stories about their son.
For instance, a woman on Facebook shared her story of Justin paying her disabled veteran husband’s speeding ticket because they couldn’t afford it.
When Justin was in high school, he was an umpire for Little League games and coached an elementary school basketball team. Pat said he enjoyed stopping by local sporting events to talk to people.
David said his son used to stop by between shifts to spend time with his parents.
“Whenever he left, we’d always tell him to make good choices and all that,” David said.
David and Pat said Justin was always willing to step in when someone needed help.
David said Gov. John Kasich called and offered his condolences. He said the governor shared a Scripture with him and relayed his own story of loss when his parents were killed by drunken drivers.
Pat and David said their faith is what will get them through this ordeal.
“They say take it day by day, but we can’t live day by day. It’s minute by minute,” David said. “We’re still in disbelief. We’re going to crash hard when it hits us.”
Justin Leo will be buried in a simple pine casket because he wouldn’t want anything flashy, Pat said.