>> MY NAME IS TERRY ZEIG LER.
I'M THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
ON BEHALF OF THE KANSAS CITY,
KANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE
OFFER OUR SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO
THE ENTIRE MELTON FAMILY.
PLEASE KNOW YOU WILL ALWAYS
REMAIN A PART OF OUR P.D.
FAMILY.
CAPTAIN ROBERT MELTON'S LIFE OF
SERVICE DEMONSTRATES THE STRONG
CHARACTER THAT RUNS DEEP THROUGH
THE ENTIRE MELTON FAMILY.
AS MANY HAVE AND ARE LIVING A
LIFE OF SERVICE, THANK YOU FOR
SHARING HIS LIFE WITH US.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS OUR
GREAT NATION FOR, ONCE AGAIN,
SHOWING TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FOR
OUR FALLEN OFFICER.
WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR
COMMUNITY FOR CONTINUING TO
SUPPORT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO SPORTING
K.C., YOU'RE TRULY AN AMAZING
ORGANIZATION.
ON JULY 19, 2016, CAPTAIN MELTON
RESPONDED TO ASSIST OFFICERS WHO
WERE ATTEMPTING TO APPREHEND
VIOLENT CRIMINALS WHO HAD JUST
COMMITTED A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
AS CAPTAIN MELTON ROLLED UPON
ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, THE SUSPECT
OPENED FIRE, STRIKING HIM
SEVERAL TIMES.
OFFICERS ON THE SCENE
IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO RENDER AID
TO CAPTAIN MELTON WHILE OTHERS
MOVED IN TO ARREST THE SUSPEC
CAPTAIN MELTON WAS TRANSPORTED
TO K.U. MEDICAL CENTER WHERE
DOCTORS AND NURSES TRIED TO SAVE
HIS LIFE.
CAPTAIN MELTON ENDED HIS WATCH
AND HIS LIFE OF SERVICE AT
APPROXIMATELY 14:55 HOURS.
AS WE REFLECT ON CAPTAIN
MELTON'S LIFE OF SERVICE, YOU
WILL SEE THAT HE WAS A TRUE
HERO.
NOT ONLY WAS HE A HERO IN OUR
COMMUNITY, BUT HE WAS AN
AMERICAN HERO.
CAPTAIN MELTON JOINED THE KANSAS
NATIONAL GUARD IN 1986 AS AN
ENLISTED SOLDIER AND ROSE
THROUGH THE RANKS RETIRING IN
2012 AS A CAPTAIN.
HE SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN TWO
COMBAT OPERATIONS, IRAQ
2003-2004.
AFGHANISTAN, 2010-2012.
HE WAS ON THE FRONT LINES
FIGHTING TERRORISM TO KEEP OUR
GREAT NATION SAFE.
HE RECEIVED A BRONZE STAR FOR
HIS HEROISM IN COMBAT.
CAPTAIN MELTON USUALLY ARRIVED
TO WORK EVERY MORNING BY 0600
HOURS.
WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE MORNING, I
WOULD ASK HIM, HOW ARE YOU DOING
THIS MORNING, DAVE?
HE WOULD ALWAYS BL
BL
BLE BELLOW OUT,
IT'S A GREAT ARTILLERY MOSHG,
SIR.
I HAD TO LIFE.
HE WAS GREAT AT MILITARY
SERVICE.
HE TAUGHT OUR OFFICERS MILITARY
BEARING AT THE BEGINNING OF
EVERY ACADEMY CLASS.
ASIDE FROM SERVINGA THE NATIONAL
LEVEL, HE SERVED NINE YEARS AT
THE WYNNEDOT POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND 17 YEARS WITH THE KANSAS
CITY, KANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THROUGHOUT CAPTAIN MELTON'S LAW
ENFORCEMENT CAREER, HE
EXEMPLIFIED OUR VALUES OF
SERVIC
SERVICE, HONOR, INTEGRITY, AND
PROFESSIONALISM.
HIS UNIFORM WAS ALWAYS CRISP,
BRASS ALWAYS SHINY, BOOTS ALWAYS
POLISHED.
HE SERVED MANY YEARS AS A
SERGEANT IN THE BUREAU OF
OPERATIONS.
HE KNEW THE LAWS.
HE KNEW THE GENERAL ORDERS, AND
HE WAS A GO-TO GUY IF ANYONE
EVER H A QUESTION.
HE WAS THE KIND OF SERGEANT WHO
WATCHED OUT AND TOOK CARE OF HIS
OFFICERS.
HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE EACH
OFFICER RETURNED HOME SAFELY TO
HIS OR HER FAMILY AT THE END OF
THEIR TOUR OF DUTY.
I WENT TO CAPTAIN MELTON'S
OFFICE ONE DAY WHILE HE WAS
TYPING, AND I NOTICED HE WAS
WEARING HIS OUTER BULLET PROOF
VEST.
I ASKED DAVE, WHY ARE YOU
WEARING YOUR VEST WHEN YOU'RE
TYPING?
AND HE REPLIED, YOU NEVER KNOW
WHERE THE THREAT'S GOING TO COME
FROM, SIR.
I BELIEVE THE TRUTH WAS HE
WANTED TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE OF
OFFICER SAFETY TO THOSE UNDER
HIS COMMAND.
TO SUM IT UP, HE CARED DEEPLY
FOR HIS OFFICERS.
AS I LOOKED THROUGH CAPTAIN
MELTON'S PERSONNEL JACKET, I
WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF
THE WORDS USED TO DESCRIBE HIS
WORK ON OUR DEPARTMENT.
WORDS LIKE TIMELY, THOROUGH,
INDUSTRIOUS, DEDICATED SERVICE,
PROFESSIONALISM, COURAGE, AND
DILIGENT EFFORT.
THESE ARE THE QUALITIES OTHERS
SAW IN CAPTAIN MELTON.
AND TO TRULY SUMMARIZE HIS
CHARAC
CHARACTE
CHARACTER, I THINK YOU ALL WOULD
AGREE, THAT THESE ARE THE
QUALITIES TO MAKE AN OUTSTANDING
OFFICER
WHEN DETECTIVE BRAD LANCASTER
WAS MURDERED ON MAY 9, 2016, I
REACHED OUT TO CAPTAIN MELTON
THE NEXT MORNING AND I ASKED HIM
TO HELP US GUIDE US THROUGH THE
MILITARY STYLE HONORS A FALLEN
HERO DESERVES, AND HE QUICKLY
ACCEPTED THE TASK WITH A MIGHTY,
"YES, SIR."
JUST PRIOR TO BRAD'S FUNERAL, I
ASKED CAPTAIN MELT TO CREATE A
HOW-TO MANUAL FOR A FALLEN
OFFICER'S FUNERAL, SO WE WOULD
HAVE A PLAYBOOK FOR FUTURE
LEADERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT TO
FOLLOW IN THE EVENT THERE WAS
ANOTHER TRAGIC LOSS OF AN
OFFICER AFTER WE WERE ALL
RETIRED.
HIS REPLY WAS, I'M ALREADY ON
IT, SIR, I AM TAKING METICULOUS
NOTES, AND I WILL HAVE IT DONE
SHORTLY AFTER THE FUNERAL.
HE WAS TRUE TO HIS WORD, AND
COMPLETED THE MANUAL ABOUT TWO
WEEKS AGO.
WHEN HE DELIVERED THE MANUAL TO
THE CHIEF'S OFFICE, HE SAID,
IT'S ALL DONE, PUT IT ON THE
SHELF, AND HOPEFULLY, WE'LL
NEVER HAVE TO USE IT AGAIN.
IT WAS WITH A HEAVY HEAR -- IT
WAS WITH A HEAVY HEAR THAT WE
PULLED THE MANUAL OFF THE SHELF
TO GUIDE US THROUGH THE PROCE
TO HONOR ITS AUTHOR, CAPTAIN
ROBERT MELTON.
DAVE, I HOPE WE MADE YOU PROUD.
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
REST NOW, BROTHER.