STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Fallen Cpl. Ronil Singh of the Newman Police Department is being memorialized in a new way. Names, departments and well wishes, now cover the hood of his former patrol car.
"We wanted them to know that they’re not alone," Deputy Nathan Crain of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said.
When Singh was shot and killed in the line of duty on December 26, officers from across the country came to Stanislaus County to pay their respects a week later.
"We told the Newman Chief of Police that we were going to commandeer his vehicle," Crain said.
And after the funeral, many left their mark behind.
“We wanted to try to capture all of the support that was given, not only to Ron but to the Newman Police Department and his family...what better way to do so than marking up a police vehicle?," he said.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s K9 Association got the idea after attending police week in Washington D.C. after the death of Deputy Dennis Wallace.
“We visited a pub called Kelly’s and inside there they have pieces of cars, or maybe a motorcycle, even a component on a helicopter that involve a line-of-duty death," he said.
They got it clear coated to preserve the signatures and Big Valley Ford of Stockton donated a new hood free of charge.
“We were going to get it covered either way," Jarrod Mcanally, a fleet commercial manager for Big Valley Ford said.
They’ve got a soft spot for law enforcement, as their fleet division sells police cars to agencies across the area. A wall of patches even hangs in their office.
“Anytime you lose a first responder like a firefighter or a police officer, I think it affects everybody in the community, because those are our first responders that are paid to serve the public. Which you know, we’re the public," Mcanally said.
“We’re very thankful for his support and the generosity he showed," Crain said.
They are leaving behind a new way to memorialize Singh at the Newman Police Department.
“With the number of signatures that were on that hood at the end of the night, I think it really proves how much people care about Ron and the sacrifice he made on December 26," he said.
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