Officer Anthony Dia remembered as a hero & family man
/Officer Anthony Dia remembered as a hero & family man
By Robert Foreman
After being shot in the parking lot of Home Depot on July 4th, Officer Anthony Dia’s final words over the radio were, “Tell my family that I love them.” The tragic events unfolded when Officer Dia, 26, responded to a call about an intoxicated man in the store’s parking lot asking for jumper cables. As Officer Dia approached the man, who was later identified as 57-year-old Edward Henry, he was shot once near the armpit. Henry fled into a wooded area and would later be found dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Responding officers did everything they could to save Officer Dia while rushing him to the hospital, but there was nothing that could be done. Officer Dia’s widow, Jayme, told a local newspaper that her husband, “Lived for his family, and he loved, just loved, being a police officer.”
Officer Dia, a devout Muslim, had written a letter to his family during the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan in which he stated “I also hope if I was shot, I was able to take the shooter with me. I hope I died with bravery.” Almost two months later, his letter seems almost prophetic. During his funeral, which was held in the packed John F Savage Arena, his cousin read the contents of Officer’s Dia’s letter and brought many of the people to tears. Officers from both Ohio and Michigan attended the funeral to show their support for Officer Dia, who had joined the police department in 2018.
Officer Dia’s final words, “118, tell my family that I love them” were played at the funeral. The postmortem call announcing his death was also played which stated, “Attention all units: Officer Anthony Dia, ID 2755, has answered his last call. From the entire family at the Toledo Police Department, Officer Anthony Dia, you and your family will remain in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.”
Officer Dia’s family remembers him as someone who was a great father, husband and friend. His shift commander remembered his work ethic and professionalism while noting that he always took time to speak to people in the community, particularly children. It was noted that Officer Dia would often let children sit in his squad car and play with the siren, and he would take pictures with anyone who asked. That is perhaps what makes his death even more tragic and senseless. He had a reputation for doing the right thing and lost his life while trying to assist someone in the community he served.
Obviously, no one has felt Officer Dia’s death more profoundly than his family. Yet, in their grief, his family remembers him as a hero. “My son died a hero, and if he was ever given a choice, 'Hey, do you want to die in bed sick, do you want to die in a car accident or do you want to die like this, a martyr,' Anthony would choose this box 100%. He wouldn’t want to go out any other way,” said Officer Dia’s father, Tony, at a recent press conference.
However, Officer Dia’s family, and others, are pushing for ‘Anthony’s Rule’, which would require that officers ride in pairs when responding to calls. This is due to the fact that Officer Dia was alone when he was shot. The Toledo Police Chief George Kral noted that there are, “Several areas in the city that are one-man car areas.” Chief Kral added that, “We have a policy that when we send a one-man crew, especially like that, we send two.” However, Chief Kral has temporarily suspended one-man crews while the department determines the best way to keep the officer’s safe.
The circumstances surrounding Officer Dia’s death, and his final words to his family, have resonated with not only officers, but civilians alike. His death is not only a reminder of the daily risks that officers take when responding to incidents, but it is also a reminder of how short life can be. In his letter to his family, Officer Dia knew that there was a chance that he could die and he made certain that the people he loved knew how he felt. While his life and career were cut short, Officer Dia’s death should remind us all that we never have as much time as we think that we do. It should also remind us that our true legacy is not the jobs we held, or the money that we made, but the mark that we left on people’s lives. Officer Dia leaves behind a wife, two sons and a legacy of love and bravery with everyone he knew. In the end, that is the legacy we should all aspire to leave behind.
