Officer Keith E. Houts
Montgomery Police Department
The Memorial Service for Montgomery Police Officer Keith Houts was held yesterday.After the service, a procession brought Officer Houts to Birmingham for burial. The line of Police Officers stretched for 4 miles.
I know Officer Houts' family had to be comforted by the overwhelming show of love and support.
God rest his soul. He will be missed.
From AP:
Hundreds of people attended the memorial service Wednesday morning for slain Montgomery police officer Keith Houts at Frazer United Methodist Church.
The 30-year-old officer was shot in the head during a traffic stop last Thursday. He died of his injuries Saturday night at Jackson Hospital
The service started shortly after 10 a.m. The mourners included dozens of law enforcement officers from across the state. Houts' wife, Ashley sat in the front row between her parents. Keith Houts' parents sat next to them.
Speakers included Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, Police Maj. Kevin Murphy, Police Chaplain Eric Jackson, and the Rev. John Schmidt, who delivered the eulogy.
"We are here to honor a man who was cut down in his prime by a gunman," Schmidt said. "It would be easy for us to give in to the anger and grief of the circumstances. I do not come to you with a message of anger, bitterness or anger. I come to you with a message of hope."
Schmidt added that Houts' sacrifice will be commended by God.
Murphy, of the police department, said Houts was an "outstanding" officer.
"Thank you for sharing Keith with all of us," he said. "His memory will never be extinguished from our lives. The seasons of his life will remain with us forever."
Jackson, the police chaplain, said the Montgomery Police Department was grieving and fighting to hold back tears.
"The Montgomery Police Department is not weaker because of Keith's death, we are stronger than ever before because of his life," he said.
Following the service, a procession took Houts' body to Birmingham for a private family funeral.
Dozens of Montgomery residents lined up on bridges over Interstate 65 to pay tribute to Houts as the motorcade of police cars and motorcycles passed.
In addition to being a police officer, Houts was also a reservist who served in Iraq.
About 50 airmen from Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base stood on the Bell Street overpass and along the shoulder of I-65 during the procession.
The man suspected of shooting Houts, 32-year-old Mario Woodward of Montgomery, is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail on a capital murder charge after being captured Friday in Georgia.
These are just a few of the pictures I took from the Mt Olive Rd. exit ramp. There's just no way I can post a picture of all 400 vehicles in one story but I will post more in the near future.
A special thank you to the Gardendale and Fultondale Firefighters who let me stand with them.
This was just one of the Garrison Flags along the route from Montgomery to Birmingham...
Fultondale Fire Department : Ladder 1...
Gardendale, Fultondale and Mt. Olive Fire Departments...
Fultondale Fire Department...
There were approximately 30 Motorscouts leading the motorcade...
Montgomery Police Department Motorscout remembers...
Officer Keith Houts : 1775...
Montgomery Police Department : 3555...
Montgomery Police Department : 3556...
Montgomery Police Department : 3570...
Montgomery Police Department : 3474 / 3475...
Montgomery Police Department : 3722 / 3724...
Patriot Guard Riders...
Patriot Guard Riders...
Alabama Capitol Police...
Alabama State Troopers : N154SA...
Alabama State Troopers : Motorscouts...
Alabama State Trooper...
Alabama Revenue Enforcement...
Bessemer Police Department : K-9...
Calera Police Department : 57...
Citronelle Police Department : 4453...
Elba Police Department : 7...
Elmore County Sheriff's Office...
Gulf Shores Police Department : 48...
Hanceville Police Department...
Helena Police Department...
Homewood Police Department : 23...
Hoover Police Department : 939...
Hueytown Police Department...
Irondale Police Department : 145...
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office...
Louisville, KY Police Department...
Madison Police Department : 157...
Midfield Police Department : 559...
Millbrook Police Department : 15...
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office : Motorscouts...
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office : Motorscouts...
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office...
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office : K-9...
Montgomery Fire Department...
Montgomery Fire Department : District Chief...
Mountain Brook Police Department : 42...
Pleasant Grove Police Department : 306...
Pike County Sheriff's Office...
Shelby County Sheriff's Office : 2603...
Shelby County Sheriff's Office : K-9 2302...
Tallassee Police Department : 335...
Troy Police Department : 44...
United States Air Force Police...
United States Department of Homeland Security...
Vestavia Hills Police Department : Motorscout...
Fultondale Fire Department : Ladder 1...
posted by DAVE911 @ 10:00:00 PM
12 Comments
12 Comments:
Great pictures. They give some idea of how many people came to honeo a fallen hero.
I was driving the Louisville, KY Police car. Thanks for taking the time to take and post these pictures.
Thank you for the kind words. Most importantly, thank you for driving so far to help honor Officer Houts.
As one of the Motor Officers (Montgomery PD)in this escort, I would like to thank you for the photos and for your thoughtfulness to post them in honor of a fallen officer. Keith was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed around here. Thanks again.
It was a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to honor the memory of a fallen hero. I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the Houts family as well as the Montgomery police department. I know that all of the officers will continue to honor officer Houts by answering the call of duty day in and day out. Also thank you for posting these pictures to show support for the job that was done by officer Houts.
i would like to say it hurt me to hear news like this....when its a fallen solider and specially when you know that person. Me and keith were in the same unit to go over sea for the army in operation OIF/EIF from feb04 to feb05. we were attached to 175th maintance company. But i want to take this opportunity to sent upmost sympathy to the family and close friends of Keith Houts.....
I would like to say for the year that I've known Keith. He was a great man. He was also deployed with me with the 175th Maintenance Company. I'm sorry for an incident like this to happen, I will keep the Houts family in my Prayers. Thanks Sgt. Calvin Hart
It was a great honor to see the support that Keith, his family, and all involved received during this funeral..It was so over whelming to see the roads lined from Montgomery to Gardendale as it was..I felt honor to be able to attend it all..I also feel honored to say that I am one of the luckiest wives to know that I have such a great family at MPD to support if me if anything were to happen..I pray that we never have to bear another thing like this..This has been all so hard but with time and justice it will get a little easier..TRUE HEROES NEVER DIE!! Rest In Peace POF Keith Houts.
I thank you for your memorializing our fallen brother in this way. I was honored by the respect shown to him by all of the agencies involved. I was posted alongside a Calera officer and three Shelby County deputies at the first Calera exit. It was indeed a solemn reminder of the Fraternity of Public Safety Personnel coming together again to honor one of their own. I thank you again. Officer David Orth, Columbiana P.D.
I was deployed over seas with Houts and we were in the same unit and also the same squad. It seems like yesterday we were standing next to each other in formation. It was an honor serving with him and he will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to his family.
Thank you for the honor and respect that you and so many other people have shown Keith. Your thoughtfullness in taking the time to take all these photos and put this on your site is truly a blessing. Our daughter was Keith's wife and as you can imagine that day is a bit of a blur. It is really nice to go back and see some of the people who showed their respects that day.
Keith truly received a heroes honor and we were touched by all the people who took time out of their busy day to come outside and let us know you cared. I wish no one would ever have to go through such a heartbreaking event but the outpouring of support really does help you get through it. Thank you. Mark and Lorry
Thank you for your wonderful photos. As the wife of a Montgomery Police Officer I thank you again.
Keith's siter Lori is a new friend to me. Thank you for displaying what she can only struggle to tell me about. She is still misses her brother daily and honors his memory in every way possible. These pictures have been described to me, but I could have never imagined the show of respect from so many different agencies. My husband is a fire fighter and I know the brotherhood and I am so proud that people like yall are like family to me!
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