‘We should never forget the name Dylan Harrison’

Family and friends of a law enforcement officer gathered at a park in Dudley named after him to offer encouragement of moving on but not forgetting, five years to the day he was murdered. 

Dylan Harrison’s son Brody and wife Heather attended the event along with Dylan’s parents, Jeff and Kathy, brother David and his family along with other family members and friends, many who are currently serving in different law enforcement agencies. They gathered at Dylan Harrison Memorial Park to mark the fifth year in which he was killed in the line of duty.

Not long after midnight on Oct. 9, 2021, Dylan, who was 26 years old, walked out of the Alamo Police Department. Almost an hour before, he had been involved in an incident at the Alamo Circle K across the street from the police department. Harrison deployed his taser on a man who had pushed the officer.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Damien Ferguson, a friend of the man Dylan arrested, shot him. The GBI believed the ambush-style attack was retaliation for arresting Ferguson’s friend. Dylan’s brother, David, said there has been no updates on his brother’s case. Ferguson is awaiting trial.

Dylan, who served as a member of the Oconee Drug Task Force Agency, was working with the APD to make some extra money for his family and the evening of Oct. 8, 2021 was his first and only shift. 

“This is a rough day, five years later,” said Dylan’s former co-worker Steven Cady. “I can’t help but think of the bravery of Heather and how she and Dylan’s parents had to move forward. You all have done a fantastic job honoring (Dylan). Law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics have all dealt with tragedy. We are great about compartmentalizing things and moving on.”

David announced they have started the Dylan Harrison Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization that gives financial aid to high school students who are pursuing a career in public safety. 

“We are looking to double, if not triple, the amount that we were able to give last time,” David said. “I have always said Dylan cared about other people. He had a way of showing up for them when they needed him. He was the kind of person who put others before himself and that was evident by the way he lived his life. I am proud of the man he was, and the life he lived.”

Pastor A.J. Wright, who preached at Dylan’s funeral, said they usually gather on Oct. 9 to remember one of the worst days in their lives. They all remember where they were when the phones went off with the terrible news that Dylan had been shot.

“And if we’re not careful, we can go back to that same moment,” Wright said. “There is nothing wrong with remembering that, but I believe there comes a point where we have to make a decision. Are we going to live our lives simply remembering how Dylan died or are we going to allow his life and the sacrifice he gave to challenge how we live in the here and the now.” 

People can remember. People can grieve. The past can be honored while heading toward the future, Wright said. 

“Moving forward means I am taking everything I have walked through and everything I’ve learned,” the pastor said. “Even the pain I’ve experienced and I’m allowing God to shape me into who I am today.”

There is nothing wrong with remembering the past. Just don’t live in it. 

“You cannot change what happened on (Oct. 9, 2021),” Wright said. “None of us can. By the grace of God that day does not have to have control over us for the rest of our lives. Some of us have wrestled for years since this happened. Why did this happen? Why Dylan? Why did God allow this? And some may still be angry at the circumstances, angry at people and maybe even angry at God.”

And that, Wright clarified, is fine.

“It’s okay to wrestle with God,” he said. “Just read the Psalms. King David was a guy who wrestled with God. Job was a guy who wrestled with God.” 

He recalled the story in the Bible when Jesus went to see about his friend Lazarus, who had died by the time he got there. Mary and Martha told Jesus that if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died.

“The Bible said Jesus wept at that moment,” Wright said. “You have a savior who knows exactly what you are going through. He knows the pain you are going through. We have got to bring that pain to the only one who can carry it, because you are not meant to carry that pain alone. He carried it, and he carried it to the cross.

“I believe the greatest way we can honor Dylan is not simply by remembering the day we lost him, but by allowing what we walked through that changed the way we live today,” he added. “Do not forget what God has done.” 

Wright recalled how 300 people stood and wanted to be saved during Dylan’s funeral. Many contacted Wright about wanting to know more about giving their lives to Jesus.

“Think about how one of the darkest days of our community, hundreds of people were confronted with the hope of the gospel because of Dylan’s sacrifice,” Wright said. “God used Dylan’s death for his glory. What the enemy intended for destruction, God was able to use. We cannot forget that.” 

Dylan’s brother was one of the 300 who accepted Jesus that day.

“His death brought me to the reality that life is short,” David said. “We are not promised tomorrow. There is so much more in life than what we see in front of us. Luckily, through the pain of losing my brother, I found the Lord. In these five years there has been a lot of hurt but there has also been a lot of healing through those who came to salvation through the domino effect of Dylan’s sacrifice.” 

Wright believed Dylan would not want his family and friends trapped in the pain of losing him. He stressed that Dylan loved Jesus and he would want them to make sure they make it to heaven.

“When the last day comes and we take our last breath, the most important thing will not be how many people knew your name, how much money you made or how successful you were,” he said. “The question that matters is do you know Jesus Christ? He died the death we deserve and he walked out of the grave three days later. As christians, our last breath on this side of heaven is our first breath in heaven with God our father. 

“(On Oct. 9, 2021), when Dylan went home, my man graduated to heaven,” Wright said. “And that is where we are all trying to get to.”