It was a day that changed Harford County forever. February 10, 2016 marked the death of two Harford County sheriffs in the line of duty.
"There's not a day for any man or woman here at the sheriff's office that we're not thinking of Pat and Mark and their families," sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.
It was just before noon in the Box Hill shopping center in Abingdon when two of his finest men were gunned down. Senior Deputy Pat Dailey was responding to a call at the Panera Bread looking for a specific individual. When he saw him in the back of the restaurant the man pulled a gun immediately shooting Deputy Dailey in the head.
Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon was the second to respond. When he shot at the suspect David Brian Evans, the suspect fired back several times, hitting Logsdon.
"Flashbacks to that day. Mark's wife we sent people in different directions because we live in such a fast world with social media," Gahler said. She knew Mark was there and Mark wasn't answering his phone. The most heartbreaking thing I've ever been through. We hurried to her work in Baltimore County and thankfully a trooper who's a close friend of the family had got to her first."
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Dailey was a lifelong volunteer firefighter. An ambulance from his Joppa Magnolia Fire company responded to the call.
"That fire company lost a family member like we lost a family member," Gahler said. "I pray I'm never in a position to lose another one. The loss of the deputies struck home a lot, a lot closer to home, a lot more painful than anything I've suffered in my law enforcement career before that."
Through the funerals, the pain and the tears Sheriff Gahler says what came next will stay with him forever.
"So much of what we see all around the country, that lack of respect and compassion for the men and women out there putting on the uniform, doing the law enforcement job that has to be done in our country, we didn't have that in Harford County," Gahler said. "It's not that you're immune to it, but then you kind of look back and think not in Harford County. I'm guilty of it in the back of my head that can't happen here, even as it was unfolding, this is Harford County this cannot be happening here, but we woke up that day."
Harford county will honor the two fallen deputies Friday with a day of remembrance.
There will be a moment of silence at noon as the county's emergency sirens are activated and county executive Barry Glassman has ordered all flags in the county be at half-staff.
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