Officer’s fathers in a boat no one wants to be in

Editor’s note: This is the conclusion of a 3-part series of two men whose sons were law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. These stories are done in remembrance of the more than 24,000 law enforcement officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and in recognition of National Police Week.

With temperatures in the low 30s, Jeff Harrison stood amongst a group of people who had gathered on Whipple Crossing Road last January.

In front of him were many members of law enforcement and first responders. Eventually Kirk Dinkheller walked up to speak and reminded everyone that it had been 28 years since Andrew Brannan murdered his son, Kyle, on Jan. 12, 1998

“It seems like yesterday,” Dinkheller said. “I appreciate each and every one of you who came out. All I want to remind you is to go home at the end of your shift. Show mercy, but not enough mercy. Your job is to go home after your shift to be with your families that we are not able to do anymore.”

After the ceremony, many of those in attendance approached Dinkheller and shook his hand. Some gave hugs. 

Dinkheller noticed Harrison and approached his former co-worker. 

“Jeff and his whole family is in the same small boat that I am in,” Dinkheller said, referring to Officer Dylan Harrison’s murder outside the Alamo Police Department on Oct. 9, 2021. “I can be there for his family like everybody was there for me.” 

The two talked for a while. The cold did not seem to bother them as they talked about their sons. While walking back to his truck, Harrison appreciated seeing and talking with Dinkheller. Both are in the same small boat.

“Kirk knows how my family feels and what we are going through,” Harrison said. “We are fortunate that we have that friendship and we can talk about things others cannot understand. We are fortunate to have that friendship. We certainly don’t want anybody else to have to go through something like this because it is life changing.”

Dinkheller receives notifications every time a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty. He sees the state where it happened in and what agency the officer worked for. And every time it happens, it always brings back the horrors of what happened to his son.

And many of the officers being killed all seem to be young.

“That is what is tough,” Harrison said. “Our young boys were starting out with their careers. They were excited about where they were headed and had started families.”

Both men know the dangers of being in law enforcement and working the “thin blue line.” They know it all to well.  

“It takes boys like ours to hold that line,” Dinkheller said. “You can’t find some today who want to be police officers. They don’t want to do what it takes to be a good police officer. Anyone you talk to about our boys will tell you that they followed the book. And that is probably what got them killed.”

Whipple Crossing Road

The sound and sight of vehicles cruising on I-16 is easy to hear and see. For those traversing  the interstate, if they should happen to look toward the west side, they may get a quick glimpse of a memorial set up for Kyle.

No doubt they will notice the sign approaching exit 42 as the Deputy Kyle W. Dinkheller LCSO 37 Memorial Interchange. Just about a mile away on Whipple Crossing Road on the right, is a memorial dedicated to Kyle. 

The first time Dinkheller went to this location was when a cross was put up. Over time, a headstone, railroad ties, flagpole and fence were added.  

There are patches from different law enforcement agencies from all over the state – in a case in front of the marker with Kyle’s name on it, along with his badge number.

“I go there every two weeks, rain or shine,” said Dinkheller, who currently lives in Jefferson County. “That’s my space where I can talk to Kyle. If I’m having a bad day, or I just don’t want to cope, I’ll go there. That is my space to go and be alone with Kyle. I’m not going to quit until I’m dead and gone.”

Dylan Harrison Memorial Park

Almost two years after the shooting, the city of Dudley held a ceremony to unveil Dylan Harrison Memorial Park.

Dylan’s family, friends and co-workers gathered at the park which is located across from the Dudley Post Office. 

“Everyone who had a part in this park, from the bottom of our family’s heart, thank you for what you did,” he added. “This is amazing and such a honor for Dylan and an amazing tribute for my son. He would be extremely proud.” 

A lot of these same people, if not more, return each October to remember Dylan. 

“It is unreal to see people come out and show their support,” Harrison said. “It means a lot to us. Law enforcement always comes out and they’ll hug and say things. Some people will ask how we are doing and are we doing okay?”

Harrison knows people do not mean anything bad from that question. He knows people may not understand how it feels to be a mother and father who lost their child the way they lost Dylan. Dinkheller, though, completely understands.

“We can’t talk to our sons anymore,” he said. “I want to. I know Jeff does too. It is now left up to Jeff, Kathy and Heather to tell Brody what kind of man his father was. Just like me with Kyle’s kids. They didn’t know hardly anything about their dad. It was left up to me to tell them what he was like. That is tough.”

He also knows people have good intentions, but said it is best to say “I am sorry for your loss” instead of, “I know how you feel.”

“You don’t know how we feel,” Dinkheller said.

Honoring Harrison in Alamo

Dinkheller has the memorial on Whipple Crossing Road to go to feel connected to his son.  If he had his way, he would like to see Dylan honored by the Alamo Police Department. It does not have to be at the exact spot Dylan was killed, but close to it. 

“That would be the right thing to do,” Dinkheller said. “That would be my wish. There has to be something in Alamo so that people would remember what happened.”

Harrison agreed.

“I went to Alamo for the hearings,” he said. “I would always turn to go to the courthouse and turn before getting to the police department. One day it was on my mind, and I went to the police station. I just had to go. I haven’t been back there since then.”

Dinkheller said the location near the APD would be a place his friend could spend time with his son.

“I believe he would feel more connected if there was a place to go to down there,” Dinkheller said. 

Dinkheller pointed out the many police-related items that honored Dylan in the Harrison’s house.

“Look around his house, this looks like my house,” he said. “I got the flag that flew at the capitol for Kyle. If you come to my house, you will see the same stuff. Our children were supposed to grow old with us and take care of us. Welcome to our world.”

While Dinkheller returns to the site his son was taken from him, Harrison currently feels closer to his son on a piece of property Dylan and Heather bought in the county. This is where father and son spent a lot of time and many days cleaning off the property. 

“That’s my place that I go to, and I talk to him,” Harrison said. “That is where I feel connected to him.” 

National Police Week – honoring their sons 

The sites honoring Kyle and Dylan are approximately one mile from each other. Jeff and Kathy Harrison’s house is halfway between both locations.

Standing around last week, while waiting to take pictures, Dinkheller asked Harrison if they had planned to go to National Police Week in Washington, D.C.this year. The reply was no. Dinkheller had no plans to go either. But one could tell, a seed was planted from that discussion. 

Dinkheller informed Harrison that across from the memorial is a police museum. 

“Everybody’s name that is on that wall, is inside the museum with their duty pictures, and it tells a story about them,” Dinkheller said. “There are all kinds of interactive things in there just for law enforcement.”

After his son died, Dinkheller went to National Police Week the first year his son’s name was etched on the wall. He then returned for the next five years, volunteering to talk to families who were coming to National Police Week for the first time and see their loved one’s name on the wall.

“I wanted them to know what they were going to experience for the rest of their lives, basically,” Dinkheller said. “Then I decided I had to get right with myself, so I quit going. I was a mess. It took probably seven years before I got right with myself. I changed from how I was in the 1990s. I’m not the same person I was.”

The Harrison’s went to National Police Week in 2022, when their son’s name was unveiled. They have not been back since. 

“It’s hard because there are a lot of things going on,” Harrison said. “We want to go back and maybe try to interact with some of the other families.”

Both fathers would encouraged the public to remember that law enforcement officers are human. They are no different than anyone else.

“They have a family to go home to,” Harrison said. “When you see them out there, thank them for what they do. A lot of times they don’t get that kind of recognition. Be appreciative to what they do. That would be my request for this week. Wave at them, shake their hand.”

And if a person disagrees with them, like maybe a speeding ticket, take it and move on, Dinkheller said. 

“Fight it in court,” he said. “Life is too short. I wish people would thank an officer more during this week.” 

From 2025 to 2026, 363 names have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Those 363 names represent officers killed in the line of duty in 2025. Kyle’s name is engraved on Panel 3-E, Line 21. Dylan’s name is engraved at 450 F St. NW in Judiciary Square.

They have joined many others who died protecting their communities. They are remembered, along with the new names added each year, during National Police Week, which coincides with National Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.

Before parting, the friends mentioned making plans to attend National Police Week in 2027. This time, their families will go together. For now, they pray that no other family will join them in this boat. 

“We’re living in it, but it’s not easy,” Dinkheller said. “It’s not a good day, and I know it’s not for Jeff. When you are talking with somebody who is in the same boat you are in, you can relate better. You can tell them how they are going to feel. It helped me and I hope it helps the people I have talked to.”