We at BTBNC hope that all our members had a very Merry Christmas and extend our wishes to each and everyone of you to have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.
Unfortunately that was not the case for our men and women in blue this past month.
CMPD officer Mia Goodwin was tragically killed on December 22, while at an accident scene on I-85 southbound at West WT Harris Boulevard. At approximately 3:39 a.m. a semi-truck with a trailer that was heading southbound collided with a second semi-truck, which caused them to strike multiple CMPD vehicles.
According to the CMPD, Goodwin was pronounced dead on the scene by Medic minutes later due to injuries she sustained. Additionally, three other officers were taken to Atrium Main where they were treated and released, officials said. They were identified as Shannon Foster, Sean Husk and Jackson Buffington.
Goodwin, who had been with the department since 2015, was on her fifth day back to work after maternity leave. She leaves behind her husband, a Charlotte firefighter, and three small children ages 3, 1, and 4 months.
As of this writing her GoFundMe had reached $186,975 of the $250,000 goal.
For those who would like to donate or share the GoFundMe link it is: https://gofund.me/da6cdc81 or
December also saw another sad event, the Mount Holly Police Foundation Memorial Unveiling which took place on December 11, the one-year anniversary of Mount Holly Police Officer Tyler Herndon's end of watch. BTBNC was there and also contributed to the memorial by purchasing one of the engraved bricks.
The public is encouraged to visit, the Mount Holly Police Foundation Memorial Plaza is located next to the Municipal Complex, 400 E. Central Avenue, Mount Holly, NC 28120.
On December 15, staff members from Back The Blue NC along with Tim Hayworth (Father of Officer Ryan Hayworth and Former Zebulon Police Chief) met with NC State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, Chief State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor, and State Representative Matthew Winslow.
December 16 was the one year anniversary of Concord Police Officer Shuping’s EOW. The Concord Police Department held a candle light vigil and memorial dedication and BTBNC staff participated in this event as well.
This was a formal meeting to introduce our proposal for a new standardized rule and/or legislation to utilize a fire truck apparatus at the scene of every vehicle accident in order to block or shield the lanes to protect all Police, Fire, and EMS workers as well as civilians and other scene responders.
As we discussed at the meeting, had this rule been in place the evening of the accident that took Knightdale Police Officer Ryan Hayworth's life, it never would have happened had a fire truck been blocking the traffic lanes (also known as shielding). Sadly, had this rule been in place it may very well also have saved the life of CMPD Officer Mia Goodwin on December 22.
Our initial meeting went better than expected and everyone present was extremely receptive as we discussed the possibility of implementing this technique to protect our First Responders. We will keep all members informed as this process moves along.
Lastly, even though it occurred this month, and it is the reason this Newsletter is late going out, we lost another officer on January 3, 2022. NCSHP Trooper John Horton was killed when he was struck by another NCSHP Trooper arriving to back him up on a traffic stop. More to follow in next month's Newsletter. In the meantime, those wishing to donate or share NCSHP Trooper John Horton’s GoFundMe link is: https://gofund.me/94994db7 or https://www.gofundme.com/f/benefit-for-family-of-trooper-john-horton
Once again please remember we are always looking for volunteers as we are 100% non-profit and all our staff members are volunteers.
Visit our website (we have a new link, shorter and easier) btbnc.org and the regular link backthebluenc.org still works as well. While at the website be sure to click on the 10-33 Assistance Program! https://www.backthebluenc.org/1033
Keep the Goodwin family, the Horton family and all our first responders in your prayers