Memorial To Slain Deputies Unveiled On The Boulevard At Box Hill

ABINGDON, MD — A new memorial has been unveiled on the Boulevard at Box Hill in tribute to the two deputies who died in the line of duty in the area on Feb. 10, 2016. Ward Properties, which owns the shopping development, dedicated a monument Tuesday in memory of the Harford County sheriff's deputies.

"As a family and as a company we know it’s impossible to do anything that would approach making up for such a loss, but we had to do something," Bob Ward, chair of Ward Properties, said at the unveiling in Abingdon. "...we pray that the memorial that is about to be unveiled will serve to honor Deputies Dailey and Logsdon and the sacrifice they’ve made. God bless these brave men and all who serve to protect us and our way of life."

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey, 52, of Joppa, and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon, 43, of Fallston, were shot and killed in the area of the shopping center on Feb. 10, 2016.

The shooter opened fire on Dailey inside the Panera in the 3400 block of Merchant Boulevard before noon as the deputy was responding to a tip about a wanted individual. There were at least two warrants for the killer's arrest, including one for assaulting a police officer in Florida, officials later said.

After shooting Dailey, the gunman ran from Panera and hid. Logsdon was trying to find him outside the Park View Apartments when the suspect opened fire from the driver's seat of a 2004 Ford Taurus where authorities believed he had been living. Officials found multiple guns and more than 2,700 rounds of live ammunition inside the car. Authorities said they believed he had been stalking his ex wife in Abingdon.

"Since the first moments of that dreaded call on February 10, 2016 to today, the response of our Harford County community has been exceptionally kind and generous," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said upon the unveiling of the new memorial. "So many shared the pain of our loss, the pain of our families. From that pain came the love. Love in the form of prayers, flowers, cards, balloons, letters, food donations and monetary donations. And now, the love and support in the form of this memorial. A lasting tribute to Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon."

Added Gahler: "We know we will never forget our heroes, but it is so wonderful knowing that our community and people such as Mr. Bob Ward and those of Ward Properties, have done so much to make sure everyone remembers our heroes and remembers their sacrifice."

• 2 Deputies Killed in Abingdon Shooting, Suspect Dead
• Killer of 2 Deputies Was Armed 'At All Times': Harford Sheriff
• Fallen Deputies Remembered: Memorial Bench Dedicated to Harford Heroes
• Road Dedicated to Slain Harford Deputies

The dedication of the memorial came the week of funeral proceedings for Detective Sean Suiter, the Baltimore homicide detective who was fatally shot on Nov. 15 in west Baltimore while following up on a triple homicide.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office, which also remembers its own lost in the line of duty during this time of year, posted on Facebook that it was sending its condolences to the Baltimore detective.

"Today, we send our thoughts and prayers to Officer Sean Suiter, his family and his agency, and to the families of our own fallen heroes, Deputy Frank Bateman, Deputy First Class William Beebe, Deputy First Class Teresa Testerman, Corporal Charles Licato, Sergeant Ian Loughran, Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon," the sheriff's office posted on its Facebook page.

Dfc. Beebe died Nov. 28, 2006, and Dfc. Testerman died Nov. 29, 2010, and the sheriff's office posted a banner on its Facebook page in memoriam.

Said the sheriff's office: "Each of our heroes will forever be in our hearts."

Photos courtesy of Harford County Sheriff's Office.