El Paso County honors fallen first responders with special memorial

El Paso County unveiled a special memorial to honor officers in El Paso and Teller Counties who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The memorial has been in the works since 2014 and will be dedicated with the names of 32 peace officers killed in the line of duty since 1895 in El Paso and Teller Counties.

El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick was the most recent addition the memorial that was unveiled on Tuesday during National Police Week. Deputy Flick was shot and killed in the line of duty back in February.

“He’s a hero because he’s a man of honor, he was a man of his word, a man of dignity and character,” said Det. Jon Price, a former colleague of Deputy Flick.

Det. Price and Det. Kurt Smith both worked with Flick for years at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

“A hero is who he was and the sacrifice he made,” said Det. Smith.

Deputy Flick’s name is right below UCCS Police Officer Garrett Swasey.

“The love of my life gave his life without regret,” said his wife Rachel Swasey.

The El Paso County commissioners approved the proclamation for a Peace Officers Memorial Day last week. Board President Darryl Glenn, read the Peace Officers Memorial Day into the official record, noting “members of law enforcement agencies of the Pikes Peak region play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the citizens of El Paso County.”