Procession carrying killed Wayne County Sgt. Matthew Fishman ends in Dudley
DUDLEY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A procession carrying the body of Wayne County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Matthew Fishman made its way from ECU Medical Center in Greenville to his final resting place in Dudley.
Fishman, 38, was one of three Wayne County deputies shot Monday when they attempted to serve involuntary commitment papers to a man at a home in Dudley. The other two deputies are recovering from their injuries.
The escort left Greenville around noon and traveled about an hour until it arrived at Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home in Dudley.
A memorial service honoring the life of Sgt. Fishman will be held Tuesday at the University of Mount Olive's Kornegay Arena.
"Sgt. Fishman was a great guy. He never bothered anybody. Just did his job. I'm sure that morning that he got up to go to work, he went with one thing in his mind, that he would see his wife and kids that day, but he never did," said James Smith, whose children served alongside Fishman in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Others echoed similar sentiments.
"Just so sad. Just so heartbreaking. Unnecessary. And you just feel for the family and the law enforcement," said Ashley Brock, who is from the Mount Olive area.
Many, including Brock, watched the procession as it made its way through the streets.
"I just feel like the situation is just so sad and so heart-wrenching, and you just feel for the family, you feel for the fellow law enforcement officers, the first responders," said Brock, who watched the procession during her lunch break Friday. "And just being out here makes you feel like you're part of it. Like there's nothing you can do, but maybe this is just a little something you can do, just to honor and respect this person,"
Kiefer Casey explained why it was important to watch the procession.
"Just paying our respects for what law enforcement does in our community," Casey said. "This is a small community. Everybody wants to get out, show our respects for the family and how we appreciate things,"
Fishman is survived by his wife, Sarah, and their two children Nolan, 14, and Kara, 10. Matthew Ryan Fishman was born July 17, 1984. The son of Pastor Dave Fishman and Stacy Fishman, he was born at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. He was the middle of three sons.
From childhood, he dreamed of becoming a police officer. Fishman had been with the sheriff's office since December 2010. Before that, he worked for the Mount Olive Police Department, where he remained an Auxiliary.
"It makes me proud of the community for how everybody gets out and shows support for the family," Casey said.
