Dozens of people gathered outside Columbus City Hall, held hands and prayed on Friday for the safety of our local police officers and sheriff’s deputies.

The event was organized by local police chaplains and the wives of officers. Rachel Jones, the wife of Columbus officer Jeremy Jones, said she helped organize the event to show community support in light of the death of a Howard County deputy.

“It is definitely a scary time to be in law enforcement or to be a law enforcement family member,” Jones said. “there is just so much hatred toward them. It is easy to focus on that. It is hard to focus on the positive. It is hard to focus on that they do the right thing. They stand up and protect us.”

Jones said she uses one Bible verse in particular to help her get through her husband’s shifts

“It just reminds me that the Lord is with him, the Lord is protecting him,” Jones said. “When he walks out the door there is nothing I can do. I can just sit home and worry or I can sit home and pray and just put him in God’s hands. And that verse is Psalm 34:7. It says ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them.'”

You can watch video from the event and see photos on our Facebook page.