By Christopher Connelly, KERA News for Audio Texas
PLANO, TX – Friday (15 July), Texas sent off another of its officers killed in the line of duty last week. The funeral for Dallas Police Officer Michael Krol was the fourth of five. As part of KERA’s series Remembering The Fallen, KERA’s Christopher Connelly reports on a Michigan native known as a big guy with a big heart.
“…Foxtrot 413, police officer Michael Krol, badge 9217 is out of service, end of watch, July 7th, 2016. God speed Michael…”
This final, ceremonial radio call rang out at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano as hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country looked on. Officer Michael Krol spent nearly ten years on the Dallas police force. At a vigil earlier this week, Officer Andrew Gregorich said Krol was loyal.
“I always knew that if I needed someone to be there, he would come.”
Gregorich recalled hanging out with his friend in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square – eating, playing pool. Reata was Krol’s favorite restaurant.
“Everytime I drive to Fort Worth, I will think of the fifteen minute walk we made. I will not forget it. … I will look over, and I can still see us walking.”
The 40-year-old Krol was big but athletic. A basketball player in high school, he was playfully competitive with friends at the gym.
Krol grew up between Michigan and Massachusetts. He returned to the Detroit area to get a degree in criminal justice and went to work as a corrections officer at Wayne County Jail. He moved to Dallas in 2007 to follow his dream of being a police officer.
“Michael Krol answered that call.”
President Obama…at a memorial service in Dallas, reflected on Krol’s journey.
“His mother said he knew the dangers of the job but he never shied away from his duty. He came a thousand miles from his home state of Michigan, telling his family ‘This is something I wanted to do.’”
“Oh he really loves it, that’s just what he wanted to do. That was his lifelong dream.”
Krol’s uncle Jim Ehlke, there, talking to Detroit TV station WDIV. Ehlke said his nephew was driven to help people. Krol’s biggest frustration, his uncle says, was not being able to make everything right. When he was off duty, Krol helped family, friends and neighbors any way he could.
“Just committed to helping out the community, just helping out, fixing people’s houses, he committed his extra time where he could. He just was all positive. He was just a big guy, big heart.”
In a note about Krol in the funeral program, his family writes: Our family will never be the same. Mike was our rock. Officer Michael Krol is being returned to Michigan, to be buried close to them.
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