HOUSTON – It didn't take long for the Houston community to come together and honor fallen Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth with a moving tribute at the northwest Harris County gas station where he was killed.
His widow, Kathleen Goforth, issued a public letter of gratitude this week, thanking members of the community for their outpouring of love and support.
She writes, "On the day of my husband's funeral, on a much greater scale, when I witnessed so many different human beings, standing united together to honor Darren, it filled me with great emotion. Just like my friends, they were meeting one another, comforting one another, connecting with one another. It was extraordinary. All of you were extraordinary."
Goforth's widow said it is her highest wish that her husband's killing leads to more compassion and empathy for all people.
"You gave me hope. And it is hope that sustains, on some level, each of us. Give us strength to keep going, believing that somehow, someday, we'll be okay. Hope that we'll continue to come together as a nation and turn around this hostile tide of sentiment towards our men and women in uniform."
Kathleen Goforth took it a step further, ending her letter by saying she hopes society will be cognizant of the fact that all lives matter.