'Incredible' Support For Fallen Deputy Comes With Incredible Grief
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - When Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Zackari Parrish was killed in the line of duty, it didn't take long for Colorado to show support.
From fellow first responders lining the interstate to a thin blue line in the star above Castle Rock, and so many blue ribbons tied to trees in the deputy's neighborhood a local craft store sold out.
Those who knew the late deputy say the support means the world.
"The love and outpouring has just been incredible," Tyler Scott, a close friend of the Parrish family, told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann.
Scott started a GoFundMe campaign for Zack's widow and two young daughters not long after getting the call his friend had died.
"It send shock through me as it did everyone," Scott said. "I just wanted to help. One of the first things I'm thinking is of his family."
He figured $5,000 was a reasonable goal for the fundraiser, calling it "tremendous" for Gracie Parrish and the girls. Scott never expected donations to exceed $250,000 in two days.
"That's just a testament to who Zack was," he said. "He would make every day better. He had an energy about him in every part of his life."
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And Zack's life, one fueled by adrenaline and love for his family, is impacting others around the world.
"Just yesterday I got an email from someone in London," Scott said.
Yet with the tremendous amount of support, there is still a tremendous amount of pain.
"It's great to see the outpouring of love, but it's still so incredibly hard to see his car with all the flowers, notes, teddy bears and everything on it. It's just so hard to believe that this happened," Scott explained.
As difficult as it is, Scott said he will continue to find ways to honor his late friend. The hope, he added, is that the community will keep showering the Parrish family with support.
"It doesn't stop here," he said. "[Zack] deserves every bit of it and his family deserves every bit of it."
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Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.