WESTFIELD, Ind. (WTHR) - Communities around central Indiana honored fallen officers Lt. Aaron Allan and Deputy Chief Jim Waters at National Night Out events Tuesday.
In Westfield, National Night Out is paired with Jake Laird Community Day. Laird was an IMPD officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2004.
His parents shared a message of encouragement for the families of Allan and Waters.
"They just need to stay strong in their faith and live by the moment, and try not to think about what's coming - birthdays, holidays. Just live in the moment, and understand that they will have the strength they need for that moment," said Laird's father, Mike.
"The police family will help them. It's an ordeal that...it will be a blur for them for a long time, but they'll have help. They'll have help," said Debbie Laird, Jake's mother.
The goal of National Night Out is to strengthen police-community relations.