AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – A sea of support was shown for the family of Oakland County Deputy Bradley Reckling.
Hundreds of law enforcement and so many more packed a church in Auburn Hills to honor the life of a father killed in the line of duty.
Reckling leaves behind three children and his wife, who has a fourth child on the way.
Law enforcement from across the region came on Friday (June 28) to support the family and the community. It’s been a long, somber afternoon at the Auburn Hills Apostolic Church.
The police from all over Michigan gathered to pay their respects to Reckling. It’s one of those moments that gives every man and woman in blue a reason to pause and reflect.
Filing under an American flag hung ceremoniously between two fire truck ladders, hundreds of police officers from all over Metro Detroit, Flint, and even as far outstate as Branch County near Hillsdale County, where they lost a sheriff’s deputy Thursday, June 27, 2024, filled the church.
Because Reckling also rode in the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Motorcycle Motorcade Unit, motorcycle officers from all over came in procession as well.
Officers in their honor guard uniforms lined up outside the church as the visitation ended. Clinton Township police Detective Tom Hill summarized the sentiment throughout.
“It’s important to come out and show respect to Brad Reckling and his family, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department,” said Hill. “Any time we face a loss in law enforcement, you felt it as an entire law enforcement community. It’s a ripple effect. Each one of us has a heavy heart, and it’s a difficult time.”
This course is becoming more common, and something Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington says is profoundly concerning, leading him to want to speak to the Reckling family.
“Don’t ever let anyone say, ‘Well, you know this happens, and you should be ready for these things,’” said Washington. “You’re never ready for it, and you never have to get over the loss of a loved one, especially killed in the line of duty. We just have to learn how to manage it, and that’s what I would say to the family, we’re here for them, we always be here for them.”
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard is expected to speak after the service and perhaps tell Local 4 more about the investigation into Reckling’s murder.
Karim Moore, 18, who allegedly drove the car carrying the men who allegedly shot Detective Reckling, had his bond reduced on Friday from $100,000 cash to $50,000 cash.
