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Honoring Our Heroes
A portrait worth a thousand words of condolence
When 3rd District officer Audrey Du- erson-Carter heard about the loss of Ella French, she wanted to use her art skills not only to console the grieving family, but also to soothe her own grief over losing yet another colleague.
“It’s like time stands still,” Duer- son-Carter expressed. “It’s almost like your immediate family when you hear something about an officer being hurt or killed. I was glued to the TV until we found out.”
Duerson-Carter has been drawing portraits for grieving people since 1985, spending whatever free time she has on trying to create the perfect image that will help the deceased live on forever.
“People tell me that I have a way of sending them back to that day that it happened,” Duerson-Carter relayed. “I have a way of really pulling their heart- strings.”
For five days following the incident on Aug. 7 that took French, Duer-
son-Carter went home after her shift to work on her portrait.
“I stayed up every night,” Duer- son-Carter revealed. “I just feel like it’s something I have to do. God gave me this gift, and how dare I not share it with someone that’s grieving?”
After the portrait was finished, Du- erson-Carter brought it with her to the visitation for French.
“Hopefully [it brought] a little com- fort,” Duerson-Carter clarified. “Even if it’s just for a moment. Of a better time, all the happier times.”
Duerson-Carter plans to continue drawing portraits long after she retires. By then, she’ll have more time to draw more portraits to honor the fallen.
“I would love to do that for so many families,” Duerson-Carter mentioned. “I try to be a bridge with the commu- nity through my art so they can see us from a different light.”
–Rosemary An
Third District Officer Audrey Duerson-Carter drew a portrait of fallen officer Ella French to give to her fam- ily at the funeral.
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