Fairfield To Honor Its First Officer Killed In Line Of Duty

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (WCBS 880) – It was 117 years ago when Fairfrield's first police officer died in the line of duty.

Now that officer is finally getting honored in the nation's capital for his service.

LISTEN: WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau on the Sheriff Francis Pike's service to Fairfield

Sheriff Francis Pike was 38 years old when he lost his life struggling with a drunk who had stabbed two men on the platform of the Fairfield train station.

That was on May 13, current Fairfield Police Chief Gary McNamara says, and this coming May 13, Sheriff Pike will be honored on the police memorial in Washington, D.C.

"That will be 117 years to the day in which Deputy Sheriff Francis Pike was killed in the town of Fairfield," he said.

Now the chief is urgently searching for descendants of the sheriff to take part in the honor.

"We believe it's very important that they know of the sacrifice that one of their relatives did for the town of Fairfield," McNamara said.

McNamara said Sheriff Pike wasn't married, but he hopes descendants of any siblings might come forward to attend pike's day of honor.