BackStoppers step up to help family of Brooklyn officer killed on St. Louis bridge
BackStoppers Inc. Chief Ron Battelle said he has made contact with fallen Brooklyn Police Officer Brian Pierce’s family with the pledge of $10,000 to help with funeral expenses and other financial needs.
“We’re going to present the check some time this weekend,” Battelle said. “They can use if for whatever expenses they have, funeral and whatever family expense they have.”
The Clayton-based BackStoppers organization was founded in 1959 to help the wives and children of first responders who lose their life or are injured in line of duty.
“We’ve been around 62 years. Our mission is to provide support to families of police officers, fire fighters , EMS workers killed in the line of duty or critically injured, Battelle said.
Pierce was on the McKinley Bridge in St. Louis attempting to deploy spike strips to deter a crime suspect leading police on a chase from Brooklyn into Missouri. The suspect’s red Dodge Charger struck and killed the young officer, who had been with the Brooklyn Police Department for about seven months.
He did not have children and was not married, but his parents still reside in Makanda, Illinois, near Carbondale.
Funeral services will be held at John A. Logan College in Carterville on Aug. 13 and 14, according to Meredith-Waddell Funeral Home. Visitation will be 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13. A special visitation for first responders will be held at 6 p.m. Friday.
Battelle has been the leader of BackStoppers for 17 years. Before that he was a board member with the organization for 17 years.
Battelle knows how devastating it is for families to lose a loved one while they are doing a public service. But, BackStoppers does all it can to lift the some of the burden off the family by providing financial assistance, he said.
“It is humbling to see that the community has provided us the means and resources to be able to make these families lives better,” he said. “We are currently taking care of 80 families, 75 are children. We say from day care to college.”
The organization is able to do what it does through fund raisers and donations, Batelle said.
“Some of our survivors are in their 80s and 90s now. We’re in it for the long term,” Battelle said.
To make a contribution to BackStopers go backstoppers.org and follow the donation link on the menu bar.
The family also has created a GoFundMe called “Remembering Brian Pierce, A fallen Hero.” All donations will go to help with the memorial.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 2:51 PM.
