It will be a somber day in the collective community of Michigan’s Great Southwest today as the region marks the one-year anniversary of the attack at the Berrien County Courthouse when an inmate being transferred from the Berrien County Jail grabbed a deputy’s gun and killed two court officers, and wounded the deputy and a civilian in St. Joseph.
As the community continues planning for a memorial walk and candlelight vigil this evening, even the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court took time out today to comment on the tragedy of July 11, 2016.
Chief Justice Stephen J. Markman issued the following statement this morning:
“The entire judiciary today honors the memory of court security officers Joseph Zangaro and Ronald Kienzle. These two brave and compassionate heroes will not be forgotten. We also recognize the service and sacrifice of the men and women who worked in the courthouse that day and whose lives will never be the same. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks court staff take every day to serve the public. Indeed, the safety of the public continues to be a top priority, and the Supreme Court is working with courts statewide to enhance security measures and further protect the public.”
A major outpouring of grief and remembrance in the days following last year’s attack will likely be replicated tonight when Berrien Strong Community in Action joins forces with the Fraternal Order of Police Blossomland Lodge #100 to host the memorial walk from the Berrien County Courthouse to the Lake Bluff Park site of the Law Enforcement Memorial across from the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph.
That walk will begin at 8:30pm, however organizers are asking everyone planning to make the walk to please be at the county courthouse parking lot no later than 8:15pm to logistically plan for the smoothest transition from there to the park. Once at the Law Enforcement Memorial, a candlelight vigil will take place marking the lives and service of the slain Director of Courthouse Security Joseph Zangaro and his colleague Court Bailiff Ron Kienzle, who were both gunned down that day while attempting to halt the taking of hostages and other safety threats inside the courthouse.
