Officers turn out for their fallen comrade

BILL O ’ BOYLE

boboyle@timesleader.com

The work to prepare the day of events for the funeral ceremony for Joshua Miller required several people to work around the clock, according to Trooper Tom Kelly of Troop P, Wyoming.

Law enforcement personel enter Pennsylvania State Trooper Joshua Miller's funeral service at Pittston Area High School Fri. morning.S.John Wilkin/The Times Leader

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“It’s like losing a member of your family,” Kelly said. “I’m proud to look out there and see all of those officers. Most of them didn’t know Trooper Miller, but they all realize one thing – that at any time, what happened to him could happen to them. That’s the reality of it.”

David Carbone, retired homicide officer from the New York City Police Department, lives in Lake Naomi in Monroe County, near the scene where Miller was killed. Carbone and retired Suffolk County officer Ray Fitzpatrick of Polk Township said they felt they had to attend Miller’s funeral.

“I’ve been to these funerals many times – too many times,” Carbone said. “It can happen to any police officer at any time on any given day. That’s why we have to stick together and be there – here – for each other.”

Carbone and Fitzpatrick said it’s important to show support for a fallen comrade.

“We’re often looked at as the bad guys,” Carbone said. “We give tickets and we arrest people. But every officer gets up every morning and puts on that uniform and heads out to work with no guarantee of coming home again. It’s extremely unfortunate that this young man won’t be coming home again.”

Fitzpatrick said when a police officer is killed, “we all suffer.”

“He may be wearing a different uniform, but he or she is part of one big family,” Fitzpatrick said. “We all know it could have been one of us.”

“This is a great show of support for the family,” said Michael Lombardo, brother of Trooper Robert Lombardo, who was wounded Sunday in the shootout near Tobyhanna. Michael Lombardo, the former mayor of Pittston, now works for Gov. Ed Rendell, who spoke at the funeral. The Lombardos’ brother, John, was killed in the line of duty while fighting a fire in Pittston several years ago.

“This is something you never get over and you just deal with it the best you can,” Michael Lombardo said.