Cabarrus County pays tribute to fallen Concord police officer Jason Shuping

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Fallen Officer Jason Shuping was honored during the Cabarrus County Law Enforcement Day ceremony.

Shuping died last December in a shootout off Bruton Smith Boulevard following a carjacking call.

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“He was a young man with a bright future,” U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said at the ceremony. “He was an outstanding police officer who courageously ran to danger to protect our community.”

The Cabarrus County Law Enforcement Day ceremony is about to begin in Concord. Anticipating some special moments as fallen Officer Jason Shuping is set to be memorialized. @SenThomTillis is here as the keynote speaker. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/L5XWNeIrz9
— Susanna Black (@SusannaWSOC9) May 7, 2021

Anne Eury Griggs know the sacrifice all too well.

The 20-year law enforcement veteran’s father, Robert Eury, was a Cabarrus County deputy who was killed in an ambush in 1972.

“We need today -- we need our kids growing up knowing police officers are heroes,” she said.

On Friday, officials presented a nameplate with his name to be added to the county’s Fallen Officers Memorial.

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“So many people drive by and never see (the memorial),” Eury told Channel 9. “If they would just look at the names and say, ‘They died for me. They died for me.’ Let’s be proud of them. They need to be honored. They need to be honored.”

The prestigious Robert J. Eury Award was given to Kannapolis Police Lt. Allen Tomlin, Jr. at the ceremony. The award goes to officers with at least 20 years of service and who honorably protects their city.

“Allen truly embraces a servant-leadership philosophy,” said Kannapolis Police Chief Terry Spry. “He never asks someone to do a task he would not do himself and he is always willing to help others. He has a sense of humbleness and is gracious with his time and money with no expectation of recognition. Officers like Lt. Tomlin are America’s quiet heroes who often go unnoticed and unappreciated until those critical moments when we need them. To live with honor and serve with integrity in a dangerous and demanding job requires men and women of exceptional character, courage, and commitment. Lt. Tomlin certainly displays all these attributes. The only way we know about any of the acts of kindness he does is when an fellow officer or member of the community tells us. He never seeks attention himself.”

(WATCH: Widow of Concord Police Officer Jason Shuping pays it forward in honor of her husband)