SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 17-year-old high school student visited the funeral of Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan to give black and blue bracelets to officers who were watching over the body of O'Sullivan. She'll be selling similar bracelets for a fundraiser that benefits the O'Sullivan Memorial Fund.
Kaitlyn Riley said she got the idea to create the bracelets to honor both O'Sullivan and other law enforcement officers.
She said she now carries bracelets with her everywhere she goes. She handed many of the bracelets out to officers in the area, including to Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.
"It was nice meeting [Chief Hahn] because I always see him on the news and stuff," Kaitlyn said. "It was weird to see him in person, but I'm glad I got to get him a bracelet."
Kaitlyn said she hopes others will follow her example of showing law enforcement officers that they are appreciated.
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Courtney Riley, Kaitlyn's sister, said O'Sullivan's death hit close to home because her uncle is also a law enforcement officer.
Courtney said she was out of town at the time of O'Sullivan's death and started helping her sister when she got back home. She said there were at least 200 requests for the bracelets.
"It's the little things... we show our appreciation towards them because they do so much for our community and protect us," Courtney said.
Mike Riley, Kaitlyn's father, said he was devastated for the same reason Courtney said. His brother is an officer in Woodland.
Mike said he is proud of his daughters and that both law enforcement officers and private citizens complimented him on how he raised his children.
He was touched by community efforts that saw people from Elk Grove make sure officers had something to eat and drink while they were at the funeral home for O'Sullivan's memorial service.
"[People from Elk Grove wanted] to let them know, 'hey, we might be a neighboring community in Elk Grove, but we care for all our officers throughout the region.'"
Kaitlyn Riley will be selling her bracelets at the Thin Line Brewing Company's fundraiser in Rancho Cordova. They'll sell at a price at the person's choosing. The fundraiser is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 27, and all of the proceeds are going directly to the O'Sullivan Memorial Fund.
The Thin Blue Line Brewing Company is at 11354 White Rock Rd Suite 100, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742. Bands will be at the establishment in the evening, and food trucks are going to be there as well.