Philadelphia officers, children honor officer killed in line of duty with paint night
Officers and children on Tuesday remembered fallen officer Lauretha Vaird, a Philadelphia police officer who was killed in the line of duty during a bank robbery in 1996.
The event was at a rec center named for Vaird in Feltonville. Inside, children gathered around tables and painted their own portraits of her.
Philadelphia police officers were also there to help the kids with the painting. Those who knew Vaird said they want to make sure they keep her memory alive.
The children also learned about her heroism and personality. Friends say she was a hard worker who cared about her community and loved to bake and dance.
Vaird's son Michael Caesar described the event as "a beautiful thing."
"It used to be me and my little brother, and then I realized I have a lot of family here," he said.
"My mom was the bomb. Kaboom," Caesar said. "Always at the beach, always taking trips."
Deputy Commissioner Pedro Rosario said spending time with the kids and seeing them smile "make it really worthwhile."
"With all the other stuff we deal with every day, seeing the smiles on the children's face, we're celebrating a 'shero,' that's pretty cool, and understanding the rec center honoring her legacy and the community she died protecting," he said.
Families Behind the Badge sponsored the event, which was hosted by the 25th District and the police department's community relations team.
"It's amazing because the day it happened really broke my heart," Vaird's friend Crystal Coleman said. "So this is truly amazing and truly a tribute to her and it just fills my heart with joy because I never want her name to be forgotten."
Those who knew Vaird said she would be smiling bright at this event, which was also part of Women's History Month.
"I think she would be overjoyed," Coleman said.
"Knowing her," Caesar said, "she'd be hype, she'd be super hype because this is a legacy that lives on."
