Hundreds of first responders from the St. Louis region gathered Tuesday to escort Ferguson Police officer Travis Brown as he was transported to a rehabilitation clinic in Georgia.
Brown suffered a severe brain injury after being knocked over during an August protest commemorating the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown Jr., to whom he is not related. Officer Brown has been hospitalized ever since. Elijah Gantt was indicted in September on assault charges.
“This is a process, and this is absolutely the next stage in that process,” said Ferguson Police spokeswoman Patricia Washington. “It's good to see him moving to that next phase, but it's also a reminder of the dangers that officers face every day.”
Arnold Police Detective Ray Hussmann participated in the motorcade along with several officers from the Jefferson County department.
“Most of these guys are here on their off days [...] out of the goodness of their heart to show solidarity with officer Brown and the Ferguson Police Department — to show that we’re all brothers in blue,” he said. “We’re all here for each other.”
Ferguson Fire Chief and City Manager John Hampton said the community support for Brown and the city’s police department has been crucial during a difficult time.
Restaurants across the region have held fundraiser nights, community members have sold T-shirts and a GoFundMe has generated over $170,000 for Brown’s recovery.
“What you've seen is Ferguson come together — you [have to] see the whole community come together,” Hampton said, noting the camaraderie among first responders. “I think you see it right here today.”
Forrest Tosie and his wife, Pat, stood at the corner of Grand Avenue and Chouteau Avenue in St. Louis, together holding out a "Thin Blue Line" flag. For them, supporting Brown was personal — they have a son who works for the St. Louis County Police Department.
“We think it's really important that everyone in the community support law enforcement,” Tosie said. “We want [Brown] to know that everyone in St Louis appreciates him, appreciates what he's done, and we're all hoping and praying that he gets better.”
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Forrest and Pat Tosie’s last name.
