ELYRIA, Ohio – Community support continues to pour in exactly one month to the day after an ambush-style attack killed a Lorain police officer and injured two others.
On July 23, officers Phil Wagner, Peter Gale, and Brent Payne were all shot on a dead-end street in Lorain. Wagner died. Gale and Payne are still recovering.
Since then, many Northeast Ohioans have found ways to express their gratitude and lend a helping hand. Saturday was no exception, with a “Back The Blue” flash tattoo event held at Distilled Ink Tattoo in Elyria.
Josh Ison is the owner. He had an idea and contacted Jennifer Storm, who has family in law enforcement, to help him connect with the right people to organize the event and donate all proceeds to the families of officers Wagner, Payne, and Gale.
“They’re just regular people like you and me, doing their jobs. Do you understand what I mean? “What happened to them was a cowardly act,” Ison stated. “I really just did it to bring a little positivity to the community, man, we need it.”
Tattoos without color were priced at $60, while tattoos with color and shading cost $120. There were also basket raffles featuring items donated by local businesses, as well as a 50/50 raffle.
Amanda Post, who helped organize the event, was pleased with the turnout. She told FOX 8 News that some people came to donate but did not get tattoos.
“It’s really great that as a community we’re pulling together and doing this for our police officers,” she told me.
Jennifer Storm stated that through the tattoo sales and raffles, they raised more than $5,600 to benefit the officers’ families.
She also mentioned that the family who won the 50/50 raffle gave their winnings right back.
