When a police officer falls in the line of duty, fellow officers come together in support – like family.

The tragic death of Thomas Cottrell Jr., a Danville, Ohio, police officer who investigators said was fatally wounded Jan. 17 by a local man on a mission to kill a cop, was no exception.

As details of the death were disclosed officers across the state and beyond began making plans to show their respects by attending the services Jan. 23.

Sgt. Marc Basye along with Officer Kelli Rynders and Officer Dan Harris attended from the Tipp City Police Department attended as did deputies Phil Osting, Phil Osting II and Parrish Brazel of the Miami County Sheriff’s Department, Officer T.J. Mullins of the Covington Police Department and Officer Mallory Lash of the Piqua Police Department.

“I thought it was important to go to show respect and support for the officer’s family as well as officers in departments throughout the country,” Phil Osting II said.

This was his first such funeral. It was held at Central Ohio Technical College in Newark, where Officer Cottrell graduated from the police academy.

“As a police officer or deputy you realize there are other officers and family members that know the challenges and dangers faced by officers every day on the job. I don’t think people can relate unless they are connected in some way to law enforcement,” Osting said.

Along the procession route from the service to a cemetery, flags waved and people stood, many holding signs of support for law enforcement, despite frigid temperatures.

“Even in the cold weather, they were out with flags and salutes. I was surprised, and pleased, to see that kind of support,” Osting said.

Basye said he makes every effort to attend funerals of fallen officers in the tri-state area. Among those locally were the funerals of Clark County Deputy Suzanne Hopper, who died Jan. 1, 2011, and Officer Sonny Jim of Cincinnati Police who died when shot in June 2015.

Basye said his involvement in the Miami County police memorial and honor guard has led to relationships with survivors of those who have died in the line of duty. He has been involved in coordination of motorcades for agencies attending services.

He and Rynders were on duty the night police were notified that Cottrell was missing and then had been found deceased outside the village police department.

“We were all waiting on word: did they find him? Where is he at?” Rynders said. “We don’t know Officer Cottrell but he is our brother, our family and it is our duty to go and pay our respects to his family and be there for them, for the family.”

Basye echoed her thoughts. “I am angry but I also know that the family is grieving. I wanted them to know we felt the family’s pain from 100 miles away and wanted to be there,” he said.

Attending the funeral was full day commitment with officers meeting for the motorcade before dawn at the Dayton airport and the drive to the Columbus area along Interstate 70. Videos on news outlets and on Facebook showed the stream of law enforcement vehicles making its way to Newark.

At the technical college, the officers were seated in a gymnasium with standing room only and met officers from San Jose as well as Sylvania, Ohio, as the gathering formed. Among agencies represented were the Chicago, New York City and Auroa, Colo., police departments. “It is heart-warming to see,” Basye said.

The procession to the cemetery also was an emotional one.

“Just when you think you are done crying, you see all of these citizens standing out along the roadway with their flags, some of them had made signs that said ‘thank you’ … little kids are standing at attention,” Rynders said. It is so heartwarming but then so emotional. It was very overwhelming.”

The support she and Basye said was overwhelming.

“Those aren’t the people you see on Facebook and bash police officers. People support us. It was a nice reminder,” Rynders said.