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Police lieutenant laid to rest

The long funeral processional for Lt. Charles Shafer travels down East State Street in Salem as hundreds of onlookers brave a light rain and cold temperatures Sunday. (Salem News photo by Pattie Shaeffer)

SALEM — People lined the sidewalks of downtown Salem Sunday, some holding flags, some saluting, some holding their hands over their hearts — all honoring Lt. Charles Shafer as his funeral procession traveled along State Street –one last patrol with his brothers and sisters in blue.

Carol Reinehr of Salem and Cathy Markovich of Perry Township, who stood in the misty rain near Home Savings, both talked about loyalty to the police force and every day seeing the police officers cruising the streets, their presence just always there.

That was Chaz, as he was known.

Loyal and always ready to help. Present in whatever he was doing. Popular and unique, a leader and friend. Respectful, genuine, funny, spunky, decent and loving.

When Pastor Steven Kenneally of the Franklin Square United Methodist Church asked his family, friends and colleagues to describe Shafer in one word, those were the responses given. During the service at Salem High School auditorium, he called the list pretty amazing and shared stories and comments explaining each one.

Both he and Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott recalled the same story, how Chaz and his brother Scott were out eating and he started talking to another gentleman. When he returned to the table, Scott asked who the man was. He commented, oh that’s just a guy I arrested last week. That was Chaz. He treated everybody with decency.

His longtime friend, Melanie Parker Mayo, called him true north.

“Charles definitely wasn’t by the book, but he always did the absolute right thing,” she said, adding that he leaves a legacy.

Both Mayo and Kenneally urged attendees at the service to incorporate some of his traits into their everyday dealings with their families, friends, co-workers and communities.

“If you do that, you will honor his life,” Mayo said.

Kenneally used present tense, saying Chaz loves his children, Ethan, Caleb and Devin, he loves his wife, Lisa, he loves his mother, Betsy, and his brother, he loves this job and he loves this community.

“His love for each of you does not stop. Live your lives moving forward in a way that will honor Chaz. Be decent, be loving,” he said.

Panezott, in his remarks, recalled a police luncheon where they talked about legacy and asked officers how they want to be remembered as human beings. He said Chaz treated everybody with dignity and respect. He was a good police officer. Do they put the needs of the department above self? In the midst of their mourning, he said the department did just that.

“I’m very proud of the way they came together for Lisa, for the family…he’ll always be a part of our family,” Panezott said.

He talked about the Charles Shafer Show, how at the end of the night shift, Charles would be making jokes, then he had to go make sandwiches for the kids’ lunches.

He talked about the void to fill in the department, how Chaz was like a father to the younger officers on his shift.

“Try to be the police officer that Charles Shafer was, the father, the husband, the friend that he was to everybody, the leader,” he told them.

Patrolman Michael Garber, president of Fraternal Order of Police Quaker Lodge 88, also spoke during the service, saying Charles did a lot of kind acts. He was a great man and he was a funny man and he kept them all laughing.

“He left something with all of us,” Garber said later.

Garber coordinated many moving parts for the service and the procession through town to allow the community to give Chaz a fond farewell. The FOP presented both Lisa and Betsy with paintings honoring peace officers and including an inset of Chaz. Garber was proud of the law enforcement agencies and the fire department and especially the agencies who covered the city and directed traffic so Salem’s officers and firefighters could attend the service and calling hours and take part in the procession.

“Everybody came together and rose to the highest level,” Garber said, adding all that mattered was that they honored the lieutenant.

Honor him they did, right down to the finest detail. Starting at noon, a steady stream of mourners paid their respects to the family members, flanked by Salem police officers, then filed past the flag-draped open casket which contained a stuffed bear dressed in a police uniform and a letter written by Devin to her father. Officers stood guard on either side. A video of photographs played as a backdrop.

Panezott said the support was overwhelming, with lots of hugs shared and hundreds of people going through. The fire department arrived in their dress uniforms, followed by retirees from their department. Before the service began, the police department entered en masse, first the dispatchers, then the officers with hats and gloves in hand, each turning to the casket of their brother and saluting after placing a carnation, followed by Salem’s former chiefs Michael Weitz and Robert Floor and several retirees, and police officers from departments as close as Perry Township and as far away as Conneaut. Every department in Columbiana County was represented, including the Sheriff’s Office, along with several from Mahoning County and beyond, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Glen Duncan of Leetonia played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, both at the start of the service, when the casket was loaded for the procession and at the end, when the procession returned to the school for the final sendoff. For the procession, two fire trucks parked opposite of each other just east of the Lincoln and State intersection, ladders raised to the sky to form an arch.

Pall bearers included Salem Police Lt. Dave Casto, Sgt. John Scheets, and Patrolmen David Beeson, Liz Perry, Dave Young and John Brooks, assisted by Chris Walla and Garber. Salem officers who attended to the needs of the family included Sgt. Chris Gallo, Scheets, Sgt. Danny Green and the chief.

Patrolmen Brandon Smith and Steve LaRosa folded the flag from the casket, with assistance from Mahoning County sheriff’s deputies, with the flag presented to Lisa.

The Alliance Police Department Special Response Team Honor Guard, which included Salem Patrolman Doug Osberg, led by commander Mike Jones, fired off a 21-gun salute, then Salem Fire Capt. Aaron Loper played taps.

For the final radio call, Salem Dispatcher Tina Cutright called for Shafer’s badge number to respond: 748 to S3…748 to S3…748 to S3…Lt. Charles Shafer, Badge S3 is CODE 6 for the final time. End of Watch, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018.

Rest in peace our dear friend and protect us from above. We’ll take it from here.

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