End of Watch June 13, 2007, Chief of Police.
Chief Lacy was shot and killed by a prisoner who was sitting in the back seat of his patrol car. The Chief was transporting a suspect that had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prisoner was able to produce a gun and shot the chief.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth and three sons; Arthur, Kevin and Brian.
Lacy was part of a family of law enforcement officers. Two brothers work at the county jail, and a son is a Stanton police officer.
Chief Lacy served as a law enforcement officer for 23 years, and served as the Chief of Police in Clay City for three years.
The policeman stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"
The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No lord, I guess I ain't,
because those of us who carry a badge
can't always be a saint."
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
because the streets are awfully tough.
But I never took a penny,
that wasn't mine to keep
though I worked a lot of overtime
when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
though at time I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
among the people here.
They never wanted me around
except to calm their fear.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne
where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
for the judgment of his god.
"Step forward now, policeman,
you've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
you've done your time in hell"
Thank you Millie for honoring Chief Lacy by sponsoring his memorial.
∼CLAY CITY - Garry Randy Lacy, 55, 151 10th St, husband of Ruth
Garrett Lacy, died Wed, June 13th in the line of duty. He was born
Oct 28, 1951 in Winchester, to the late Granville Alexander and Zula
Belle Tipton Lacy. He was Clay City Chief of Police, a member of
Clay City First Church of God, member of Fraternal Order of Police,
and a member of Powell County Ministerial Association Anti-Drug Task
Force. Survivors include, wife of 27 years, Ruth Lacy, Clay City;
sons, Arthur Randle Lacy, Stanton, Brian Scott Lacy, Winchester, and
Kevin Dewyan Lacy, Clay City; brothers, Chester and wife, Bonnie
Lacy, Stanton, Garland, and wife, Sue Lacy, Clay City, and Ted and
wife, Teresa Lacy; grandchildren, Gary, Ryan, and Taylor Lacy.
Services Sun, June 17, 2007 2pm, Powell County High School
Gymnasium, Stanton by Rev. Garland Lacy. Visitation today and Sat,
5-9pm, Wells Funeral Home, Stanton. Burial in West Bend Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers serving: Greg Adams, Danny Rogers, Dallas Clark,
Jay Perkins, Kevin Neal, Rog Matthews, Denny Frazier, Danny Allen,
and Danny Thomas. Honorary Pallbearers serving: Brittany Adams,
Jonathan Adams, Members of Kentucky State Police, Stanton Police
Dept., Powell Co. Sheriffs Dept., Kentucky Motor Vehicle
Enforcement, Dispatch, Jail, Fire, Ambulance, Coroners Office, and
Forestry Service and Members of Clay City First Church of God.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader from 6/15/2007 - 6/16/2007.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 14, 2007
'The way he did his job was so right ...'
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
[email protected]
Come Christmastime, Clay City Police Chief Randy Lacy would pull on a Santa
Claus suit and take James Barnett's children a sack full of toys and food.
Lacy, 55, worried that the repeat offender's children "wouldn't get anything for
Christmas if we didn't take it to them," Powell Jailer Ted Lacy, the chief's
brother, said yesterday.
Lacy treated the man who would be accused of killing him in the same respectful
way he treated all of the people of Powell County in his 22-year-police career,
friends and family say.
"The way he did his job was so right ... from processing cases to dealing with
an irate teen," said Phillip Frazier, a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officer.
"He put on his uniform for one reason -- to help people."
Several members of Lacy's family followed him into law enforcement and say he
was the best possible role model.
Before Ted Lacy became Powell County jailer, he served with his brother on the
Stanton Police Department.
"He worried more about me than himself," Ted Lacy said.
Their older brother Chester also works at the jail.
Brother Garland Lacy is a court bailiff and a minister who rushed to the
shooting scene and, family members say, was with his brother when he died.
And Randy Lacy's son, Arthur "Little Randy" Lacy, is a Stanton police detective.
Ted Lacy said the family of officers were all familiar with Barnett, who has
been arrested more than 30 times on at least 59 counts of drug, alcohol, theft
and other charges.
Ted Lacy recalled that Randy Lacy personally had arrested Barnett as many as a
dozen times before yesterday.
Barnett threatened to kill Randy and other law enforcement officers more than
once in the past when he was high on alcohol or drugs, Ted Lacy said.
His brother took Barnett's threats seriously, Ted Lacy said, "but if he was
fearful, he didn't show it."
Ted's wife, Teresa, said the family lived under the constant fear that one of
their own might get hurt.
"We always prayed that a day like this would never come," she said.
The police chief was married to Ruthie Lacy and had three sons, Arthur, Kevin,
and Brian.
After graduating from Powell County High School, Randy Lacy worked as a truck
driver. He turned to police work in his mid-30s.
Lacy was the chief of police in Clay City twice, serving in that role for the
last three years. Lacy also worked at the Stanton Police Department twice, was a
detective at the Clark County Sheriff's Office and worked at the Powell County
Jail.
For the last two months, the chief was the only officer on the Clay City force,
and he responded to every call that he could.
"He knew that if he didn't go, there wouldn't be anybody to go," said Ted Lacy.
The city was hiring another officer but he hadn't started work yet, Ted Lacy
said.
Teresa Lacy described her brother-in-law as an officer who would work "two or
three shifts at a time."
"He was tough, but he had the biggest heart you could ever imagine," she said.
Lacy was a member of the group Powell County Christians Against Drugs, and he
played a big role in programs such as Shop With a Cop.
He raised money for the families of people he arrested because he knew they
needed help the worst.
"Randy did his job," said Frazier, "the way it was supposed to be done."
Reach Valarie Honeycutt Spears at (859) 231-3409.
© 2007 Kentucky.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kentucky.com
Hundreds gather to pay respects
By Megan Boehnke
[email protected]
In a small clearing on a green Powell County hillside, mourners stood silently at the edge of West Bend Cemetery yesterday. On the road below, more than 200 police cruisers drove beneath a 50-foot American flag borne on the ladders of two firetrucks.
After the cruisers and other cars had passed, a hearse arrived with the body of Clay City Police Chief Garry "Randy" Lacy.
The hearse was preceded by a police motorcade and a fleet of eight officers on horses. Bagpipe players and a drummer announced the fallen officer's arrival at the burial site, as family and friends held one another.
Officers fired a 21-gun salute for Lacy, 55, who was killed Wednesday while arresting James H. Barnett, 37, for driving under the influence.
Lacy was shot in the head from the back seat of the officer's cruiser. Barnett is being held on a murder charge.
Hundreds of mourners came to the cemetery from the funeral at the Powell County High School gymnasium. Among them was Robert Stokley, who had helped pin down Barnett at the scene of Lacy's death.
In the mid-1990s, Lacy arrested Stokley's twin brother on a DUI charge, he said. A year later, when his brother died in a car accident, Lacy attended the funeral.
"He came up to me at the funeral and told me he was sorry for arresting him," Stokley said. "He didn't have anything to be sorry for."
Now, 10 years later, Stokley was at his friend's funeral. Attending made him feel better after several nights of being unable to sleep, he said.
"You know there are other people here who care," he said. "Everybody knew him well. He was an outgoing person and he was nice to everybody."
Lacy's funeral drew a crowd of about 1,000, including law officers from as far north as Ohio and as far west as Paducah.
Chester Lacy, the slain chief's brother, opened the service with stories about Lacy's life, drawing occasional laughter from the crowd. Their niece, Alicia Lacy, sang, and another brother, the Rev. Garland Lacy, delivered a sermon.
"In police work, there is a call a person feels they cannot get away from," Garland Lacy told the crowd. "Chief Randy Lacy couldn't do anything else, though he was talented in numerous other areas."
He said his brother was a licensed truck driver when he died and was proficient in flooring, carpentry and mechanics.
"He could probably also put some of these restaurants out of business because he was an excellent cook," Garland Lacy said.
Sara Combs, chief judge for the Kentucky Court of Appeals, read a letter from U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. She told the family she had an American flag from Chandler that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
She then spoke briefly about the day Lacy died.
"I will always remember where I was and the heartache we have all suffered," she said. "The commonwealth of Kentucky now knows that well-kept secret we had in Powell County -- what a great and moving man he was. ... "
"My prayer for you today is that this story will never be repeated again in the commonwealth of Kentucky."
Garland Lacy concluded the funeral by addressing the more than 300 police officers in attendance.
"If I ever need a cop, I hope ... " he said before choking up twice. "Let me try again. I hope if I ever need a cop, I hope one who shows up is like Randy. And I have a good chance of having one show up like him because he trained a lot of you sitting before me."
Randy Lacy leaves behind a wife of 27 years, Ruth Garrett Lacy; three sons, Arthur, Brian and Kevin; three brothers, Garland, Chester and Ted; and three grandchildren.
Dozens of officers wiped their eyes as Garland Lacy offered his family's blessings to them.
"In the past hours that have happened since Randy was senselessly murdered, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Chief Lacy was shot and killed by a prisoner who was sitting in the back seat of his patrol car. The Chief was transporting a suspect that had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prisoner was able to produce a gun and shot the chief.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth and three sons; Arthur, Kevin and Brian.
Lacy was part of a family of law enforcement officers. Two brothers work at the county jail, and a son is a Stanton police officer.
Chief Lacy served as a law enforcement officer for 23 years, and served as the Chief of Police in Clay City for three years.
The policeman stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"
The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No lord, I guess I ain't,
because those of us who carry a badge
can't always be a saint."
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
because the streets are awfully tough.
But I never took a penny,
that wasn't mine to keep
though I worked a lot of overtime
when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
though at time I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
among the people here.
They never wanted me around
except to calm their fear.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne
where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
for the judgment of his god.
"Step forward now, policeman,
you've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
you've done your time in hell"
Thank you Millie for honoring Chief Lacy by sponsoring his memorial.
∼CLAY CITY - Garry Randy Lacy, 55, 151 10th St, husband of Ruth
Garrett Lacy, died Wed, June 13th in the line of duty. He was born
Oct 28, 1951 in Winchester, to the late Granville Alexander and Zula
Belle Tipton Lacy. He was Clay City Chief of Police, a member of
Clay City First Church of God, member of Fraternal Order of Police,
and a member of Powell County Ministerial Association Anti-Drug Task
Force. Survivors include, wife of 27 years, Ruth Lacy, Clay City;
sons, Arthur Randle Lacy, Stanton, Brian Scott Lacy, Winchester, and
Kevin Dewyan Lacy, Clay City; brothers, Chester and wife, Bonnie
Lacy, Stanton, Garland, and wife, Sue Lacy, Clay City, and Ted and
wife, Teresa Lacy; grandchildren, Gary, Ryan, and Taylor Lacy.
Services Sun, June 17, 2007 2pm, Powell County High School
Gymnasium, Stanton by Rev. Garland Lacy. Visitation today and Sat,
5-9pm, Wells Funeral Home, Stanton. Burial in West Bend Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers serving: Greg Adams, Danny Rogers, Dallas Clark,
Jay Perkins, Kevin Neal, Rog Matthews, Denny Frazier, Danny Allen,
and Danny Thomas. Honorary Pallbearers serving: Brittany Adams,
Jonathan Adams, Members of Kentucky State Police, Stanton Police
Dept., Powell Co. Sheriffs Dept., Kentucky Motor Vehicle
Enforcement, Dispatch, Jail, Fire, Ambulance, Coroners Office, and
Forestry Service and Members of Clay City First Church of God.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader from 6/15/2007 - 6/16/2007.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 14, 2007
'The way he did his job was so right ...'
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
[email protected]
Come Christmastime, Clay City Police Chief Randy Lacy would pull on a Santa
Claus suit and take James Barnett's children a sack full of toys and food.
Lacy, 55, worried that the repeat offender's children "wouldn't get anything for
Christmas if we didn't take it to them," Powell Jailer Ted Lacy, the chief's
brother, said yesterday.
Lacy treated the man who would be accused of killing him in the same respectful
way he treated all of the people of Powell County in his 22-year-police career,
friends and family say.
"The way he did his job was so right ... from processing cases to dealing with
an irate teen," said Phillip Frazier, a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officer.
"He put on his uniform for one reason -- to help people."
Several members of Lacy's family followed him into law enforcement and say he
was the best possible role model.
Before Ted Lacy became Powell County jailer, he served with his brother on the
Stanton Police Department.
"He worried more about me than himself," Ted Lacy said.
Their older brother Chester also works at the jail.
Brother Garland Lacy is a court bailiff and a minister who rushed to the
shooting scene and, family members say, was with his brother when he died.
And Randy Lacy's son, Arthur "Little Randy" Lacy, is a Stanton police detective.
Ted Lacy said the family of officers were all familiar with Barnett, who has
been arrested more than 30 times on at least 59 counts of drug, alcohol, theft
and other charges.
Ted Lacy recalled that Randy Lacy personally had arrested Barnett as many as a
dozen times before yesterday.
Barnett threatened to kill Randy and other law enforcement officers more than
once in the past when he was high on alcohol or drugs, Ted Lacy said.
His brother took Barnett's threats seriously, Ted Lacy said, "but if he was
fearful, he didn't show it."
Ted's wife, Teresa, said the family lived under the constant fear that one of
their own might get hurt.
"We always prayed that a day like this would never come," she said.
The police chief was married to Ruthie Lacy and had three sons, Arthur, Kevin,
and Brian.
After graduating from Powell County High School, Randy Lacy worked as a truck
driver. He turned to police work in his mid-30s.
Lacy was the chief of police in Clay City twice, serving in that role for the
last three years. Lacy also worked at the Stanton Police Department twice, was a
detective at the Clark County Sheriff's Office and worked at the Powell County
Jail.
For the last two months, the chief was the only officer on the Clay City force,
and he responded to every call that he could.
"He knew that if he didn't go, there wouldn't be anybody to go," said Ted Lacy.
The city was hiring another officer but he hadn't started work yet, Ted Lacy
said.
Teresa Lacy described her brother-in-law as an officer who would work "two or
three shifts at a time."
"He was tough, but he had the biggest heart you could ever imagine," she said.
Lacy was a member of the group Powell County Christians Against Drugs, and he
played a big role in programs such as Shop With a Cop.
He raised money for the families of people he arrested because he knew they
needed help the worst.
"Randy did his job," said Frazier, "the way it was supposed to be done."
Reach Valarie Honeycutt Spears at (859) 231-3409.
© 2007 Kentucky.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kentucky.com
Hundreds gather to pay respects
By Megan Boehnke
[email protected]
In a small clearing on a green Powell County hillside, mourners stood silently at the edge of West Bend Cemetery yesterday. On the road below, more than 200 police cruisers drove beneath a 50-foot American flag borne on the ladders of two firetrucks.
After the cruisers and other cars had passed, a hearse arrived with the body of Clay City Police Chief Garry "Randy" Lacy.
The hearse was preceded by a police motorcade and a fleet of eight officers on horses. Bagpipe players and a drummer announced the fallen officer's arrival at the burial site, as family and friends held one another.
Officers fired a 21-gun salute for Lacy, 55, who was killed Wednesday while arresting James H. Barnett, 37, for driving under the influence.
Lacy was shot in the head from the back seat of the officer's cruiser. Barnett is being held on a murder charge.
Hundreds of mourners came to the cemetery from the funeral at the Powell County High School gymnasium. Among them was Robert Stokley, who had helped pin down Barnett at the scene of Lacy's death.
In the mid-1990s, Lacy arrested Stokley's twin brother on a DUI charge, he said. A year later, when his brother died in a car accident, Lacy attended the funeral.
"He came up to me at the funeral and told me he was sorry for arresting him," Stokley said. "He didn't have anything to be sorry for."
Now, 10 years later, Stokley was at his friend's funeral. Attending made him feel better after several nights of being unable to sleep, he said.
"You know there are other people here who care," he said. "Everybody knew him well. He was an outgoing person and he was nice to everybody."
Lacy's funeral drew a crowd of about 1,000, including law officers from as far north as Ohio and as far west as Paducah.
Chester Lacy, the slain chief's brother, opened the service with stories about Lacy's life, drawing occasional laughter from the crowd. Their niece, Alicia Lacy, sang, and another brother, the Rev. Garland Lacy, delivered a sermon.
"In police work, there is a call a person feels they cannot get away from," Garland Lacy told the crowd. "Chief Randy Lacy couldn't do anything else, though he was talented in numerous other areas."
He said his brother was a licensed truck driver when he died and was proficient in flooring, carpentry and mechanics.
"He could probably also put some of these restaurants out of business because he was an excellent cook," Garland Lacy said.
Sara Combs, chief judge for the Kentucky Court of Appeals, read a letter from U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. She told the family she had an American flag from Chandler that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
She then spoke briefly about the day Lacy died.
"I will always remember where I was and the heartache we have all suffered," she said. "The commonwealth of Kentucky now knows that well-kept secret we had in Powell County -- what a great and moving man he was. ... "
"My prayer for you today is that this story will never be repeated again in the commonwealth of Kentucky."
Garland Lacy concluded the funeral by addressing the more than 300 police officers in attendance.
"If I ever need a cop, I hope ... " he said before choking up twice. "Let me try again. I hope if I ever need a cop, I hope one who shows up is like Randy. And I have a good chance of having one show up like him because he trained a lot of you sitting before me."
Randy Lacy leaves behind a wife of 27 years, Ruth Garrett Lacy; three sons, Arthur, Brian and Kevin; three brothers, Garland, Chester and Ted; and three grandchildren.
Dozens of officers wiped their eyes as Garland Lacy offered his family's blessings to them.
"In the past hours that have happened since Randy was senselessly murdered, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
End of Watch June 13, 2007, Chief of Police.
Chief Lacy was shot and killed by a prisoner who was sitting in the back seat of his patrol car. The Chief was transporting a suspect that had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prisoner was able to produce a gun and shot the chief.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth and three sons; Arthur, Kevin and Brian.
Lacy was part of a family of law enforcement officers. Two brothers work at the county jail, and a son is a Stanton police officer.
Chief Lacy served as a law enforcement officer for 23 years, and served as the Chief of Police in Clay City for three years.
The policeman stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"
The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No lord, I guess I ain't,
because those of us who carry a badge
can't always be a saint."
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
because the streets are awfully tough.
But I never took a penny,
that wasn't mine to keep
though I worked a lot of overtime
when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
though at time I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
among the people here.
They never wanted me around
except to calm their fear.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne
where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
for the judgment of his god.
"Step forward now, policeman,
you've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
you've done your time in hell"
Thank you Millie for honoring Chief Lacy by sponsoring his memorial.
∼CLAY CITY - Garry Randy Lacy, 55, 151 10th St, husband of Ruth
Garrett Lacy, died Wed, June 13th in the line of duty. He was born
Oct 28, 1951 in Winchester, to the late Granville Alexander and Zula
Belle Tipton Lacy. He was Clay City Chief of Police, a member of
Clay City First Church of God, member of Fraternal Order of Police,
and a member of Powell County Ministerial Association Anti-Drug Task
Force. Survivors include, wife of 27 years, Ruth Lacy, Clay City;
sons, Arthur Randle Lacy, Stanton, Brian Scott Lacy, Winchester, and
Kevin Dewyan Lacy, Clay City; brothers, Chester and wife, Bonnie
Lacy, Stanton, Garland, and wife, Sue Lacy, Clay City, and Ted and
wife, Teresa Lacy; grandchildren, Gary, Ryan, and Taylor Lacy.
Services Sun, June 17, 2007 2pm, Powell County High School
Gymnasium, Stanton by Rev. Garland Lacy. Visitation today and Sat,
5-9pm, Wells Funeral Home, Stanton. Burial in West Bend Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers serving: Greg Adams, Danny Rogers, Dallas Clark,
Jay Perkins, Kevin Neal, Rog Matthews, Denny Frazier, Danny Allen,
and Danny Thomas. Honorary Pallbearers serving: Brittany Adams,
Jonathan Adams, Members of Kentucky State Police, Stanton Police
Dept., Powell Co. Sheriffs Dept., Kentucky Motor Vehicle
Enforcement, Dispatch, Jail, Fire, Ambulance, Coroners Office, and
Forestry Service and Members of Clay City First Church of God.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader from 6/15/2007 - 6/16/2007.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 14, 2007
'The way he did his job was so right ...'
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
[email protected]
Come Christmastime, Clay City Police Chief Randy Lacy would pull on a Santa
Claus suit and take James Barnett's children a sack full of toys and food.
Lacy, 55, worried that the repeat offender's children "wouldn't get anything for
Christmas if we didn't take it to them," Powell Jailer Ted Lacy, the chief's
brother, said yesterday.
Lacy treated the man who would be accused of killing him in the same respectful
way he treated all of the people of Powell County in his 22-year-police career,
friends and family say.
"The way he did his job was so right ... from processing cases to dealing with
an irate teen," said Phillip Frazier, a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officer.
"He put on his uniform for one reason -- to help people."
Several members of Lacy's family followed him into law enforcement and say he
was the best possible role model.
Before Ted Lacy became Powell County jailer, he served with his brother on the
Stanton Police Department.
"He worried more about me than himself," Ted Lacy said.
Their older brother Chester also works at the jail.
Brother Garland Lacy is a court bailiff and a minister who rushed to the
shooting scene and, family members say, was with his brother when he died.
And Randy Lacy's son, Arthur "Little Randy" Lacy, is a Stanton police detective.
Ted Lacy said the family of officers were all familiar with Barnett, who has
been arrested more than 30 times on at least 59 counts of drug, alcohol, theft
and other charges.
Ted Lacy recalled that Randy Lacy personally had arrested Barnett as many as a
dozen times before yesterday.
Barnett threatened to kill Randy and other law enforcement officers more than
once in the past when he was high on alcohol or drugs, Ted Lacy said.
His brother took Barnett's threats seriously, Ted Lacy said, "but if he was
fearful, he didn't show it."
Ted's wife, Teresa, said the family lived under the constant fear that one of
their own might get hurt.
"We always prayed that a day like this would never come," she said.
The police chief was married to Ruthie Lacy and had three sons, Arthur, Kevin,
and Brian.
After graduating from Powell County High School, Randy Lacy worked as a truck
driver. He turned to police work in his mid-30s.
Lacy was the chief of police in Clay City twice, serving in that role for the
last three years. Lacy also worked at the Stanton Police Department twice, was a
detective at the Clark County Sheriff's Office and worked at the Powell County
Jail.
For the last two months, the chief was the only officer on the Clay City force,
and he responded to every call that he could.
"He knew that if he didn't go, there wouldn't be anybody to go," said Ted Lacy.
The city was hiring another officer but he hadn't started work yet, Ted Lacy
said.
Teresa Lacy described her brother-in-law as an officer who would work "two or
three shifts at a time."
"He was tough, but he had the biggest heart you could ever imagine," she said.
Lacy was a member of the group Powell County Christians Against Drugs, and he
played a big role in programs such as Shop With a Cop.
He raised money for the families of people he arrested because he knew they
needed help the worst.
"Randy did his job," said Frazier, "the way it was supposed to be done."
Reach Valarie Honeycutt Spears at (859) 231-3409.
© 2007 Kentucky.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kentucky.com
Hundreds gather to pay respects
By Megan Boehnke
[email protected]
In a small clearing on a green Powell County hillside, mourners stood silently at the edge of West Bend Cemetery yesterday. On the road below, more than 200 police cruisers drove beneath a 50-foot American flag borne on the ladders of two firetrucks.
After the cruisers and other cars had passed, a hearse arrived with the body of Clay City Police Chief Garry "Randy" Lacy.
The hearse was preceded by a police motorcade and a fleet of eight officers on horses. Bagpipe players and a drummer announced the fallen officer's arrival at the burial site, as family and friends held one another.
Officers fired a 21-gun salute for Lacy, 55, who was killed Wednesday while arresting James H. Barnett, 37, for driving under the influence.
Lacy was shot in the head from the back seat of the officer's cruiser. Barnett is being held on a murder charge.
Hundreds of mourners came to the cemetery from the funeral at the Powell County High School gymnasium. Among them was Robert Stokley, who had helped pin down Barnett at the scene of Lacy's death.
In the mid-1990s, Lacy arrested Stokley's twin brother on a DUI charge, he said. A year later, when his brother died in a car accident, Lacy attended the funeral.
"He came up to me at the funeral and told me he was sorry for arresting him," Stokley said. "He didn't have anything to be sorry for."
Now, 10 years later, Stokley was at his friend's funeral. Attending made him feel better after several nights of being unable to sleep, he said.
"You know there are other people here who care," he said. "Everybody knew him well. He was an outgoing person and he was nice to everybody."
Lacy's funeral drew a crowd of about 1,000, including law officers from as far north as Ohio and as far west as Paducah.
Chester Lacy, the slain chief's brother, opened the service with stories about Lacy's life, drawing occasional laughter from the crowd. Their niece, Alicia Lacy, sang, and another brother, the Rev. Garland Lacy, delivered a sermon.
"In police work, there is a call a person feels they cannot get away from," Garland Lacy told the crowd. "Chief Randy Lacy couldn't do anything else, though he was talented in numerous other areas."
He said his brother was a licensed truck driver when he died and was proficient in flooring, carpentry and mechanics.
"He could probably also put some of these restaurants out of business because he was an excellent cook," Garland Lacy said.
Sara Combs, chief judge for the Kentucky Court of Appeals, read a letter from U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. She told the family she had an American flag from Chandler that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
She then spoke briefly about the day Lacy died.
"I will always remember where I was and the heartache we have all suffered," she said. "The commonwealth of Kentucky now knows that well-kept secret we had in Powell County -- what a great and moving man he was. ... "
"My prayer for you today is that this story will never be repeated again in the commonwealth of Kentucky."
Garland Lacy concluded the funeral by addressing the more than 300 police officers in attendance.
"If I ever need a cop, I hope ... " he said before choking up twice. "Let me try again. I hope if I ever need a cop, I hope one who shows up is like Randy. And I have a good chance of having one show up like him because he trained a lot of you sitting before me."
Randy Lacy leaves behind a wife of 27 years, Ruth Garrett Lacy; three sons, Arthur, Brian and Kevin; three brothers, Garland, Chester and Ted; and three grandchildren.
Dozens of officers wiped their eyes as Garland Lacy offered his family's blessings to them.
"In the past hours that have happened since Randy was senselessly murdered, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Chief Lacy was shot and killed by a prisoner who was sitting in the back seat of his patrol car. The Chief was transporting a suspect that had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prisoner was able to produce a gun and shot the chief.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth and three sons; Arthur, Kevin and Brian.
Lacy was part of a family of law enforcement officers. Two brothers work at the county jail, and a son is a Stanton police officer.
Chief Lacy served as a law enforcement officer for 23 years, and served as the Chief of Police in Clay City for three years.
The policeman stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"
The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No lord, I guess I ain't,
because those of us who carry a badge
can't always be a saint."
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
because the streets are awfully tough.
But I never took a penny,
that wasn't mine to keep
though I worked a lot of overtime
when the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
though at time I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
among the people here.
They never wanted me around
except to calm their fear.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne
where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
for the judgment of his god.
"Step forward now, policeman,
you've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
you've done your time in hell"
Thank you Millie for honoring Chief Lacy by sponsoring his memorial.
∼CLAY CITY - Garry Randy Lacy, 55, 151 10th St, husband of Ruth
Garrett Lacy, died Wed, June 13th in the line of duty. He was born
Oct 28, 1951 in Winchester, to the late Granville Alexander and Zula
Belle Tipton Lacy. He was Clay City Chief of Police, a member of
Clay City First Church of God, member of Fraternal Order of Police,
and a member of Powell County Ministerial Association Anti-Drug Task
Force. Survivors include, wife of 27 years, Ruth Lacy, Clay City;
sons, Arthur Randle Lacy, Stanton, Brian Scott Lacy, Winchester, and
Kevin Dewyan Lacy, Clay City; brothers, Chester and wife, Bonnie
Lacy, Stanton, Garland, and wife, Sue Lacy, Clay City, and Ted and
wife, Teresa Lacy; grandchildren, Gary, Ryan, and Taylor Lacy.
Services Sun, June 17, 2007 2pm, Powell County High School
Gymnasium, Stanton by Rev. Garland Lacy. Visitation today and Sat,
5-9pm, Wells Funeral Home, Stanton. Burial in West Bend Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers serving: Greg Adams, Danny Rogers, Dallas Clark,
Jay Perkins, Kevin Neal, Rog Matthews, Denny Frazier, Danny Allen,
and Danny Thomas. Honorary Pallbearers serving: Brittany Adams,
Jonathan Adams, Members of Kentucky State Police, Stanton Police
Dept., Powell Co. Sheriffs Dept., Kentucky Motor Vehicle
Enforcement, Dispatch, Jail, Fire, Ambulance, Coroners Office, and
Forestry Service and Members of Clay City First Church of God.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader from 6/15/2007 - 6/16/2007.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 14, 2007
'The way he did his job was so right ...'
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
[email protected]
Come Christmastime, Clay City Police Chief Randy Lacy would pull on a Santa
Claus suit and take James Barnett's children a sack full of toys and food.
Lacy, 55, worried that the repeat offender's children "wouldn't get anything for
Christmas if we didn't take it to them," Powell Jailer Ted Lacy, the chief's
brother, said yesterday.
Lacy treated the man who would be accused of killing him in the same respectful
way he treated all of the people of Powell County in his 22-year-police career,
friends and family say.
"The way he did his job was so right ... from processing cases to dealing with
an irate teen," said Phillip Frazier, a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officer.
"He put on his uniform for one reason -- to help people."
Several members of Lacy's family followed him into law enforcement and say he
was the best possible role model.
Before Ted Lacy became Powell County jailer, he served with his brother on the
Stanton Police Department.
"He worried more about me than himself," Ted Lacy said.
Their older brother Chester also works at the jail.
Brother Garland Lacy is a court bailiff and a minister who rushed to the
shooting scene and, family members say, was with his brother when he died.
And Randy Lacy's son, Arthur "Little Randy" Lacy, is a Stanton police detective.
Ted Lacy said the family of officers were all familiar with Barnett, who has
been arrested more than 30 times on at least 59 counts of drug, alcohol, theft
and other charges.
Ted Lacy recalled that Randy Lacy personally had arrested Barnett as many as a
dozen times before yesterday.
Barnett threatened to kill Randy and other law enforcement officers more than
once in the past when he was high on alcohol or drugs, Ted Lacy said.
His brother took Barnett's threats seriously, Ted Lacy said, "but if he was
fearful, he didn't show it."
Ted's wife, Teresa, said the family lived under the constant fear that one of
their own might get hurt.
"We always prayed that a day like this would never come," she said.
The police chief was married to Ruthie Lacy and had three sons, Arthur, Kevin,
and Brian.
After graduating from Powell County High School, Randy Lacy worked as a truck
driver. He turned to police work in his mid-30s.
Lacy was the chief of police in Clay City twice, serving in that role for the
last three years. Lacy also worked at the Stanton Police Department twice, was a
detective at the Clark County Sheriff's Office and worked at the Powell County
Jail.
For the last two months, the chief was the only officer on the Clay City force,
and he responded to every call that he could.
"He knew that if he didn't go, there wouldn't be anybody to go," said Ted Lacy.
The city was hiring another officer but he hadn't started work yet, Ted Lacy
said.
Teresa Lacy described her brother-in-law as an officer who would work "two or
three shifts at a time."
"He was tough, but he had the biggest heart you could ever imagine," she said.
Lacy was a member of the group Powell County Christians Against Drugs, and he
played a big role in programs such as Shop With a Cop.
He raised money for the families of people he arrested because he knew they
needed help the worst.
"Randy did his job," said Frazier, "the way it was supposed to be done."
Reach Valarie Honeycutt Spears at (859) 231-3409.
© 2007 Kentucky.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kentucky.com
Hundreds gather to pay respects
By Megan Boehnke
[email protected]
In a small clearing on a green Powell County hillside, mourners stood silently at the edge of West Bend Cemetery yesterday. On the road below, more than 200 police cruisers drove beneath a 50-foot American flag borne on the ladders of two firetrucks.
After the cruisers and other cars had passed, a hearse arrived with the body of Clay City Police Chief Garry "Randy" Lacy.
The hearse was preceded by a police motorcade and a fleet of eight officers on horses. Bagpipe players and a drummer announced the fallen officer's arrival at the burial site, as family and friends held one another.
Officers fired a 21-gun salute for Lacy, 55, who was killed Wednesday while arresting James H. Barnett, 37, for driving under the influence.
Lacy was shot in the head from the back seat of the officer's cruiser. Barnett is being held on a murder charge.
Hundreds of mourners came to the cemetery from the funeral at the Powell County High School gymnasium. Among them was Robert Stokley, who had helped pin down Barnett at the scene of Lacy's death.
In the mid-1990s, Lacy arrested Stokley's twin brother on a DUI charge, he said. A year later, when his brother died in a car accident, Lacy attended the funeral.
"He came up to me at the funeral and told me he was sorry for arresting him," Stokley said. "He didn't have anything to be sorry for."
Now, 10 years later, Stokley was at his friend's funeral. Attending made him feel better after several nights of being unable to sleep, he said.
"You know there are other people here who care," he said. "Everybody knew him well. He was an outgoing person and he was nice to everybody."
Lacy's funeral drew a crowd of about 1,000, including law officers from as far north as Ohio and as far west as Paducah.
Chester Lacy, the slain chief's brother, opened the service with stories about Lacy's life, drawing occasional laughter from the crowd. Their niece, Alicia Lacy, sang, and another brother, the Rev. Garland Lacy, delivered a sermon.
"In police work, there is a call a person feels they cannot get away from," Garland Lacy told the crowd. "Chief Randy Lacy couldn't do anything else, though he was talented in numerous other areas."
He said his brother was a licensed truck driver when he died and was proficient in flooring, carpentry and mechanics.
"He could probably also put some of these restaurants out of business because he was an excellent cook," Garland Lacy said.
Sara Combs, chief judge for the Kentucky Court of Appeals, read a letter from U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. She told the family she had an American flag from Chandler that flew over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
She then spoke briefly about the day Lacy died.
"I will always remember where I was and the heartache we have all suffered," she said. "The commonwealth of Kentucky now knows that well-kept secret we had in Powell County -- what a great and moving man he was. ... "
"My prayer for you today is that this story will never be repeated again in the commonwealth of Kentucky."
Garland Lacy concluded the funeral by addressing the more than 300 police officers in attendance.
"If I ever need a cop, I hope ... " he said before choking up twice. "Let me try again. I hope if I ever need a cop, I hope one who shows up is like Randy. And I have a good chance of having one show up like him because he trained a lot of you sitting before me."
Randy Lacy leaves behind a wife of 27 years, Ruth Garrett Lacy; three sons, Arthur, Brian and Kevin; three brothers, Garland, Chester and Ted; and three grandchildren.
Dozens of officers wiped their eyes as Garland Lacy offered his family's blessings to them.
"In the past hours that have happened since Randy was senselessly murdered, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
