Local leaders, community members, and police officers joined a handful of pastors for a prayer service outside the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The gathering Friday came one day after five police officers were gunned down in the line of duty Thursday night in Dallas.
"The one thing we can do is go to pray together, work together, and stick together to make sure that these kinds of things don't happen around here," said Pastor Michael Joyner. "They're not going home to their families. Not because of their actions, but just because of their affiliation with who they are, and that's really sad."
The Dallas incident happened hours after MNPD Chief Steve Anderson issued a statement about the officer-involved shootings in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights.
"Unfortunately when something happens in another state, it gets attributed to all law enforcement agencies," Anderson said.
During Anderson's time as police chief, a 25-year-old officer of his force was killed in the line of duty. Officer Michael Alexander Petrina had been on the force for eight months when he was struck and killed by an automobile while working an accident in 2014.
"Losing one officer is very difficult. I can't imagine losing five," Anderson said.
"We've lost officers in the past and it's personal, and I'm sure it is for those guys, too," said Metro Police Sergeant Mark Woodfin. "It is a thought in officers' minds, they do want to go home to their family, but everyone I've spoken to who has come through this police department has come here to be a police officer and to help and serve."
A total of 17 MNPD officers have died in the line of duty since 1963. To read their names, click here.
