The new Tega Cay police station featured a memorial to honor the fallen officers. The large stone had a simple scripture engraved on its back. However, the scripture was later edited, removing the word “lord.”
Tega Cay City Manager, Charlie Funderburk, stated, “These people you know they put their lives on the line every day for the safety of the community and that’s what we hope people get out of it.”
The memorial was put up two weeks ago, and edited last week.
One resident, Lauren Albano, stated: “Yeah I thought someone who was upset about it just crossed it off.”
It was later revealed that the Tega Cay city officials were responsible for the edits made on the memorial. The word “lord,” which had appeared three different times, was filled in.
“A little surprised, but as the complaints came in the end result was pretty clear,” Funderburk stated.
Funderburk stated that city hall received multiple complaints about the memorial shortly after it was put up. After holding several meetings with the city’s lawyer, they opted to edit out the word.
“There was never any intent to hold one religion in higher regard to another, or one person in higher regard than another. It was a donation from a civic group,” he said.
After the edits, city hall began receiving complaints from citizens.
One resident stated, “I mean it was a beautiful monument with a beautiful little prayer on it. I would have left it as is.”
“There is just as many people upset now that it got removed over people upset it was there in the first place. There is no win here at all,” Funderburk said.
Speaking to FOX 46 Charlotte, Funderburk stated that the scripture was the same as those on fallen officer memorials all over the country, including Washington D.C. However, since the one in Tega Cay had no historical significance, the city chose to make the change.