Widow of fallen officer shares her story of grief in light of death of Santaquin officer
SANTAQUIN, Utah (ABC4) — The widow of a fallen officer shared her story of grief in light of the Santaquin officer who was killed on I-15 Sunday morning.
Nannette Wride-Zeeman lost her husband, officer Cory Wride, in the line of duty ten years ago. Today, she offered perspective on what the family of the fallen officer might be dealing with.
“The feelings of that day are very mixed,” Wride-Zeeman said of the day her husband died. “A lot of shock, a lot of panic, a lot of ‘What am I going to do now?’ And also a lot of denial, because you’re wondering if it has even happened.”
In January 2014, Sgt. Wride was shot and killed while assisting a stranded motorist.
According to the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial, Wride stopped to assist a pickup truck with flashing blinkers on the side of the road. During the stop, he returned to his patrol vehicle for some paperwork. The passenger in the suspect vehicle then opened his back window and fired on him with a 9mm handgun, killing him.
Wride left behind his wife and five children.
When describing the types of feelings she felt at that time, Wride-Zeeman said, “It’s like being on a really fast merry-go-round that you can’t get off of. You just feel confused and lost … very very lost.”
Despite that, Wride-Zeeman said she also felt a lot of support from the community.
“As the days go on and the funeral comes up you’re going to have not only a nationwide response … but worldwide,” she said. “The thin blue line is real and it wraps around the whole entire world.”
According to Wride-Zeeman, this widow is going to feel both insulated and loved. Additionally, Wride-Zeeman described how she has been able to create a relationship with her late husband “on the other side” over the last decade. She said this widow should know that her husband is not going to be far.
“He’s going to interact, he’s going to send signs, she’s going to feel him near,” Wride-Zeeman said. “He’s going to be around her forever.”
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