Quinn Witherspoon’s family has received cold shoulderIn reference to a recent article in the R&L, I fail to see the love and respect that the officers have for Quinn Witherspoon.
During the 2006 Memorial Ride, I, along with others, witnessed the disrespect of Bobby Witherspoon, Quinn’s father. Dad was there with his children and Quinn’s children to show respect, love and honor to Quinn, but what occurred that day made us decide to no longer be a part of something that Quinn would not be proud of nor take part in.
Only a few officers spoke to Dad even though at the 2005 Memorial Ride it was stated that no matter what the future held the department would always be there for the Witherspoon family and Quinn’s children.
Since Misty’s arrest, with few exceptions, they have not contacted Dad, Mom nor the children.
At the 2006 Memorial Ride, Dad had to purchase Katherine, Seth and Sydney’s Memorial Ride T-shirts! Dad and Quinn’s children were left out of the ride procession, having to stop at all lights, and missing the entire ride until they arrived at Midtown Sundries.
I was reprimanded for taking any riders who wanted to honor Quinn in his hometown of Mooresville, by taking the ride past his home, grave and his route back to Concord. I asked for the ride to come through Mooresville but was denied because of hatred toward Misty.
Concerning the 2007 Memorial Ride, we were not notified of the date and time. We read about it in a biker magazine. I guess you can say we were not wanted nor invited.
To say you respect and love Quinn, you have to love and respect the very people that made him the wonderful person he was. To say you love and respect Quinn and then treat his mother, father and children in the fashion in which you have treated them is a disgrace to Quinn, who loved and honored his mother and father, who loved and adored his children, and, yes, who loved and honored Misty.
Sabrina Witherspoon Barnes
Mooresville
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Golf tournament held in Quinn's honor
By Josh Lanier
jlanier@independenttribune.com
It’s been two years since the death of Concord Police officer Quinn Witherspoon, but he’s still making contributions to the community he served.
Concord Police officers held a memorial golf tournament in his honor Friday at the Warrior Golf Course in China Grove to raise money for the Quinn Witherspoon Memorial Fund, which gives money to the children of officers killed in the line of duty.
Sixty-three golfers participated and the group expects to raise nearly $8,000 for the fund. Twenty-eight companies sponsored the holes and donated door prizes and gifts for the officers.
“Quinn was one of those guys that you couldn’t forget,” Concord Sgt. A.T. Rankin said. “He made an impression on everyone he met. He was just a really great guy that I can’t say enough good things about.”
The fund began five weeks after his September 2005 death with a memorial motorcycle ride that raised $14,000 for Witherspoon’s three children, all under the age of 10. Another motorcycle ride for his children was held a year later. The group decided to expand the fund in August for any child of a Cabarrus County police officer killed in the line of duty or who dies in an “untimely manner.”
“After his death, I had so many calls of people just saying, ‘we have to do something, we have to do something,’” said President of the Witherspoon Memorial Fund, Dana Nancy. “This fund is so important to help those families who are dealing with so much.”
Witherspoon was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by his wife, Misty Witherspoon, as he slept on his couch at his Mooresville home in September 2005. She was convicted of the murder in July and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in a Raleigh prison.
“We’re not here to really dwell on the way he died,” Rankin said. “We’re here to celebrate the way he lived as a model police officer, a truly great man and someone who you knew you could count on if you needed it … He would be out here doing the same thing for one of us if he were still here.”
Witherspoon served 11 years as a Concord police officer before his death, eight of which with his trusty K-9 partner, Tank. Nearly every officer in Concord has a fond memory of him.
“He would have done anything for you without asking,” Concord Police officer Matt Greer said before teeing off. “I think this fund and tournament is such a great idea; it’s something that he would have done if he were still with us.”
Concord Sgt. Brian Kennerly spearheaded the initiative for the golf tournament.
“We really just wanted to expand the fund and raise as much money for the fund as possible,” he said. “It’s so important that we expand on the positive things he did with his life and this fund is a great way to do that.”
Kennerly said that tournament was a success and he hopes to continue it next year. Other ideas are another memorial motorcycle ride, a fishing tournament and a shooting tournament.
“To be out here having fun for such a good cause is such a great feeling,” Kennerly said. “It’s something Quinn would have done, absolutely.”
To find out more information about the Quinn Witherspoon Memorial Fund, visit http://www.witherspoonmemorialfund.com/
jlanier@independenttribune.com
It’s been two years since the death of Concord Police officer Quinn Witherspoon, but he’s still making contributions to the community he served.
Concord Police officers held a memorial golf tournament in his honor Friday at the Warrior Golf Course in China Grove to raise money for the Quinn Witherspoon Memorial Fund, which gives money to the children of officers killed in the line of duty.
Sixty-three golfers participated and the group expects to raise nearly $8,000 for the fund. Twenty-eight companies sponsored the holes and donated door prizes and gifts for the officers.
“Quinn was one of those guys that you couldn’t forget,” Concord Sgt. A.T. Rankin said. “He made an impression on everyone he met. He was just a really great guy that I can’t say enough good things about.”
The fund began five weeks after his September 2005 death with a memorial motorcycle ride that raised $14,000 for Witherspoon’s three children, all under the age of 10. Another motorcycle ride for his children was held a year later. The group decided to expand the fund in August for any child of a Cabarrus County police officer killed in the line of duty or who dies in an “untimely manner.”
“After his death, I had so many calls of people just saying, ‘we have to do something, we have to do something,’” said President of the Witherspoon Memorial Fund, Dana Nancy. “This fund is so important to help those families who are dealing with so much.”
Witherspoon was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by his wife, Misty Witherspoon, as he slept on his couch at his Mooresville home in September 2005. She was convicted of the murder in July and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in a Raleigh prison.
“We’re not here to really dwell on the way he died,” Rankin said. “We’re here to celebrate the way he lived as a model police officer, a truly great man and someone who you knew you could count on if you needed it … He would be out here doing the same thing for one of us if he were still here.”
Witherspoon served 11 years as a Concord police officer before his death, eight of which with his trusty K-9 partner, Tank. Nearly every officer in Concord has a fond memory of him.
“He would have done anything for you without asking,” Concord Police officer Matt Greer said before teeing off. “I think this fund and tournament is such a great idea; it’s something that he would have done if he were still with us.”
Concord Sgt. Brian Kennerly spearheaded the initiative for the golf tournament.
“We really just wanted to expand the fund and raise as much money for the fund as possible,” he said. “It’s so important that we expand on the positive things he did with his life and this fund is a great way to do that.”
Kennerly said that tournament was a success and he hopes to continue it next year. Other ideas are another memorial motorcycle ride, a fishing tournament and a shooting tournament.
“To be out here having fun for such a good cause is such a great feeling,” Kennerly said. “It’s something Quinn would have done, absolutely.”
To find out more information about the Quinn Witherspoon Memorial Fund, visit http://www.witherspoonmemorialfund.com/
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