Independent
November 13, 1996
The City of Englewood announced plans to construct a community park in memory of the late Jason Grossbickle, 25, who was killed in the line of duty last May. Grossnickle, a 1989 graduate of Northmont High School was a Dayton police officer when he was slain near the Roosevelt Center.
Englewood City Manager Eric Smith said the park will be located on 5 acres of land located north of Heathcliff Road and east of the Samaritan North facility. "We want to build four soccer fields, with parking as well" Smith said. City Engineer Vic Roberts, he said, is supervising the preliminary work on marking the area this week.
By Jim Dillon
DAYTON DAILY NEWS
A motorcade of 500 police and other public safety vehicles from Dayton and other jurisdictions will escort slain Dayton police Officer Jason Grossnickle today during his funeral.
Dayton police and firefighters, Ohio Highway Patrol troopers, Montgomery County sheriffs officials, Englewood and Union police and others have been working to coordinate the massive effort since Friday. They expect 800 to 1,000 people to attend the funeral.
Dayton police Sgt. Michael Tenore, who also coordinates Dayton's annual memorial
service for its slain officers, is leading the 20-member team.
"Unfortunately, we've done this before," Tenore said. "A lot of guys who had part in (Dayton Officer) Steve Whalen's funeral are involved in this one."
Whalen was shot and killed by a mentally disturbed man on March 21, 1991. More than 250 police cruisers from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia participated in his funeral procession.
The team has hundreds of details to consider including the order of the procession and traffic and crowd control, as well as the customary 21-gun salute, playing of Taps and the folding and presentation of the flag to the family. But the overriding goal is to "abide by the family's wishes;" Tenore said. "We've talked with them, and we plan to make this as comfortable as we can for them."
Grossnickle, a third-generation Dayton police Officer, was shot and killed Thursday as he was about to enter Third District police headquarters at the Roosevelt Center 2013 W. Third St. Officer Robert Cleaver also was shot and remained in Miami Valley Hospital on Sunday.
The killer, Maurice Shaeeq Fareed, 24, died when police returned fire. Police believe Fareed shot and killed Brian Catron, 31, of Middletown, at a neighborhood store minutes before he drove to the headquarters and shot Grossnickle, 25, and Cleaver. 29.
The participating police and public safety vehicles will gather at University of Dayton arena starting at 11 a.m. At noon, they will leave the arena in a procession north along Edwin C. Moses Boulevard to Salem Avenue.
The procession will continue to Union Road, then north along Union Road to the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren, 7037 Union Road, Randolph Twp.
By Mary McCarty
Dayton Daily News
June Burgess watched awestruck Sunday afternoon as her neighborhood turned into a massive procession of mourners for slain Dayton police Officer Jason Grossnickle.
"It is a community that has been shot, not just a police officer," Burgess said to her sister, Debbie Hoban, as she watched the crowds streaming to the visitation for Grossnickle, who was killed Thursday outside Dayton's Third District police headquarters.
Hundreds of mourners waited in line outside of the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren in Randolph Twp. Two mounted police officers stood honor~guard outside the church entrance as the line extended the entire perimeter of the immense parking lot.
Police officers directing traffic shook their heads when asked to estimate the number of mourners. "Thousands," one said.
The line moved glacially, a few yards every 10 minutes, and mourners faced the prospect of waiting an hour or more to pay their respects to Grossnickle's family.
Nobody turned away.
"They just keep coming,” Burgess marveled. "instead of seeing the line and saying 'Let's just go home' they keep coming."
Many of the mourners were police officers and sheriffs deputies; fellow officers from different districts, wearing different uniforms, united by one grief.
The officers came whether they knew Grossnickle or not. The young officer died in the line of duty, and his peers seemed drawn by a sense of duty to stand by one of their own.
"It's overwhelming," Hoban said.
“It makes you proud to know that police will stand by each other; it's a true family," Burgess said.
Services have been arranged for the first victim of the shooting rampage Thursday that killed Grossnickle.
Visitation for Brian Catron of Middletown will be 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home, 517 S. Sutphin St., Middletown. The funeral for Catron will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown.
BY STEPHEN DREW Independent Editor
According to many who knew him, Jason Grossnickle, a 1989 graduate of Northmont High School, always wanted to be a police officer.
On Feb. 9 Gaossnickle attained that dream when he was promoted to police officer after graduating from the Dayton Police Academy. Last Thursday, at approximately 3:20 p.m., that dream was taken from him suddenly, sadly.
As he and his fellow police officer, Robert Cleaver, were reporting for their shift at the Dayton police's Third District headquarters, Maurice Fareed, age 24, opened fire on the two men after killing Brian Catron, 31, of Middletown earlier at a Dayton market.
Fareed was killed when police returned fire on him.
Although funeral services were held Monday at the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren, located at 7037 N. Union Boulevard, in Randolph Township, Grossnickle will not be soon forgotten.
Rev. John Jackson, pastor at the church and a friend of the family, said Jason, or "Jake," was "very well liked by everyone.
"He made friends very easily,” said Jackson. "He was just an all-round great person."
Grossnickle, when graduating from the Dayton Police Academy, became a third-generation police officer. His father, Sgt. Larry Grossnickle, is a homicide sergeant and his grandfather Officer Lyle Grossnickle, retired after 25 years with the Dayton police.
At Northmont, Grossnickle played soccer and ran cross country, and according to several school officials, was everything you could ask for in a student.
Northmont Assistant Principal Robert McClintock, coached a Select Soccer team for five years with (where)Larry McClintock’s son, Shawn and Jason were teammates during those years. The team won the state when the kids were 14 years old and, according to McClintock~ the team was more like a family.
"This loss is extremely difficult, because Jake was one of ‘my boys,"' said McClintock. "Immediately after Jason's death I heard from many of the players."
Many of Jason’s teammates came in from Colorado, Michigan and other states for his funeral. According to McClintock, Jake will be remembered for his work ethic and his sense of humor.
"He was one of those kids you just loved to be around," McClintock said. "He was always positive, always upbeat. And he always had a quip. He never let us get too serious."
After graduation from high school Grossnickle attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis and the University of Cincinnati before graduating from Wright State University in 1994 with a degree in Spanish.
During his senior year, Grossnickle spent two months in an exchange program in Spain.
According to Jackson, Grossnickle once considered becoming a minister, but law enforcement was what he was meant to do.
"Jake had a very sincere faith, and he felt becoming a police officer was God's calling," said Jackson. "He liked to challenge himself, and he Liked the sermons that were challenging."
Grossnickle joined the academy as a recruit on Aug. 14, 1995 and was promoted to police officer on Feb. 9. According to Dayton police Sgt. Gary Tipton, Grossnickle graduated eighth in his class at the academy and was selected by his classmates to speak during graduation.
In his address, Grossnickle said: "I’ have been part of a police family all my life, but now to know I will be part of the job my father has been a part of, and other family members, is just amazing to me. And the pride I have inside to know that I will do the job that my father has done for so long leaves me with a sense of awe because I love my father so much. And to be able to share this part of my life with him means a lot.”
"There is a long road ahead of us, and anything can happen. We lost a friend in the academy .. . We will lose others along the way and my hope is that you, the 85th recruit class, who I am proud to call my friends, will have long and prosperous careers and lives."
"He was a great young man," said Northmont Athletic Director Robin Spiller. "He was a polite, beautiful young man with a beautiful smile."
Grossnickle’s friends viewed him the same way, said Spiller.
"Jason was very caring, very sensitive," she said. "He kept in touch with many of his high school friends, as was evident by the viewing.
"Many people weren't there because he was a police officer. They were there because he was a good friend."
BY STEPHEN DREW Independent Editor
Law enforcement vehicles from throughout the Miami Valley, the state of Ohio, and from as far away as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky congregated at the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren Monday and led a procession along Union Boulevard to National Road and then to Brookville.
A visitor to the area would probably assume that a huge Memorial Day parade was in process. However, on a dark and misting afternoon, the line of 373 marked police cruisers represented a show of unity, and support, for a fallen comrade.
On Monday. Dayton police officer Jason Grossnickle, just 25 years old, was laid to rest in Brookville’s Arlington Cemetery.
Grossnickle was shot and killed Thursday afternoon while reporting for his shift at 3:20 PM, Thursday. Another officer, Robert Cleaver, age 29, and a Dayton Police
Academy classmate of Grossnickle’s was (also) shot on Thursday.
Cleaver, who received a gunshot wound in the jaw, was brought to Grossnickle’s funeral via an ambulance to pay his respects to his friend and fellow police officer.
More than 600 police officers waited outside the church, as several people had to stand during de 2 1\2 hour service. Many stood outside the church entrance. Many others stood near the intersection of Old Salem Road and Union Boulevard as the service was amplified outside de church.
Pastor John Jackson started de service by telling Cleaver, who was in a wheelchair, that his presence meant much to those in attendance. "(We can) take comfort in the fact that (Jason) died with a friend by his side," Jackson said
Jackson said that the tragedy of Grossnickle’s death can't overshadow his zest for life, and it is that enthusiasm for life that people must celebrate. "He lived it life) to its fullest purpose," said Jackson. "I have seen people live 90 years and who have done nothing..Jake knew what God wanted him to do and he lived life to the fullest".
A friend of the Grossnickle family for several years, Jackson told those mourning to keep their faith. "If you wanna break Jason's heart, just stop living, just stop believing" be said.
Outside the church, police officers from various villages cities and townships talked softly to one another, hoping to find comfort among themselves.
Dayton police sergeant Gary Tipton said the outpouring of support by the community and Police agencies throughout the state have helped, but the pain of Grossnickle's loss will not go away soon.
When asked what officers can do after such a tragedy, Tipton's eyes welled up with tears. "You make sure you kiss your wife every morning," he said, his voice shaken.
Tipton thanked the hundreds of law enforcement officials who helped the Dayton Police in making preparations for Grossnickle's funeral. In addition to closing Old Salem and Union Boulevard, local police personnel helped with traffic control during the funeral procession. Many others attended the funeral service.
"What we wanted to do here couldn't have been done without the assistance of Randolph Township, Englewood and Trotwood police," said Tipton. "They were more than willing to help us in any way.
Among the 20 Englewood police officers who offered to help with the procession was detective Larry Hicks, who said the entire department wanted to show its support to the Grossnickle family and the Dayton Police Department. "Whether or not he was a member of the Dayton Police Department or from another state, Jason and us (police officers) were part of a team...a brotherhood," said Hicks.
Hicks, a second-generation police officer (his father was a Kettering police officer) knows the Grossnickle family and called Jason's death a "tragedy." "The Grossnickle family epitomizes what is right and good about law enforcement," said Hicks. "This family is the shining example...a wonderful family. What else can you say?"
At Arlington Cemetery, the Dayton Mounted Patrol led the hearse bearing the flag-draped coffin to the grave site. A riderless horse with boots backward in the stirrups was led in front.
Scottish bagpipers, consisting of police and deputies from Hamilton, Columbus and Covington, Ky., marched behind the horse unit, playing Lord Loevet's Lament.
Police fired a 21-gun salute after the graveside service. And Amazing Grace, Grossnickle's favorite hymn, was performed by the pipers.
On the way to the cemetery, the Police cruisers, with their lights on, formed a shining convoy many miles long. Along Union Boulevard, hundreds of people lined the road to observe the procession in silence. Some covered their hearts, some nodded at officers when eye contact was made. Others just stood there, trying to understand how such a tragedy could occur to someone so young.
Jason K. "Jake" Grossnickle, age 25, of Englewood, passed away Thursday, May 23, 1996. Jake was a devout Christian who, through his concern for others, lived and shared his faith every day. He was killed in the line of duty as a Dayton Police Officer. He was preceded in death by an uncle, Thomas M. Thomas. He was a 1989 graduate of Northmont High school attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, Minn.; University of Cincinnati; and completed his degree work at Wright State University. He was a recent graduate of the Dayton Police Academy. He attended Christian Life Center and Happy Corner Church of the Brethren, where he was a member. He is survived by his parents, Larry and Wendy Grossnickle sister Andrea | Grossnickle all of Englewood; maternal grandparents, Wendell and Phyllis Thomas, Clayton; paternal grandmother, Lots Grossnickle Union; paternal grandfather, Lyle and wife Dorothy Grossnickle, Greenville; aunts, uncles and cousins, Lynne and Steven DeLoriea and James, John and Brenda Thomas, Joel, Brett, Kyle, and Bethany, Mary Ann and Scott Maurer, Clayton, Kendra and Maggie, George and Penny Thomas, Connor and Spencer, Nancy and Bill Miller and Peyton; cousin, James and Jennifer Thomas and Jamie and other loved ones and friends.
Funeral services were held 2 p.m., May 27, at the Happy Corner Church of the Brethren, with Pastor John Jackson officiating. Interment following in Arlington Cemetery, Brookville Friends called at the church from 48 p.m. Sunday. If desired, the family requests donations to the Happy Corner Memorial Scholarship Fund. Envelopes will be provided. Arrangements were handled by Gilbert-Fellers Funeral Home, Brookville.
