Honoring the fallen: End of Watch Ride to Remember honors local hero
A trailer with the faces of 600 fallen law enforcement officers made its way through Lubbock on Saturday.
One of those faces was of Sgt. Joshua Bartlett, who was killed in action during a SWAT-team response to Hockley County in 2021.
Bartlett was among those honored by the End of Watch Ride to Remember motorcycle group Saturday morning during a presentation at the Lubbock County Sheriff's office.
"I am proud of him," said Sgt. Bartlett's mother, Freda Bartlett.
She said that even though she is heartbroken and thinks about her son every day, she will always remember him as a funny and adventurous person.
Sgt. Bartlett was also a friendly person, going to the grocery store and talking to any person and leaving the conversation making a new friend, Freda Bartlett recalled.
"One lady loved to tell me that she got help for her son," she said. "(He) helped her son, he was on the wrong path."
She said the woman's son would go on to college to pursue a career in enforcement.
Sgt. Bartlett was killed in action on July 15, 2021, during a SWAT standoff in Levelland, where Sgt. Bartlett was the SWAT Commander.
Serving two tours in Iraq, Sgt. Bartlett was also a decorated Army veteran, according to his obituary.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family and donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-fund-for-sgt-josh-bartletts-family.
The accused shooter has been indicted on felony counts including capital murder, attempted capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon among other charges and is awaiting trial.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Honoring the fallen End of Watch Ride to Remember honors Lubbock hero
