Toledo honors fallen officer Brandon Stalker, four years after his death

TOLEDO, Ohio — It has been 4 years since one of Toledo’s police officers was killed in the line of duty. On Saturday, family, friends, and his fellow officers came together to remember his impact. 

“It was definitely, it’s tough,” said Cosette Stalker, mother of Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker, who lost his life in 2021 while working to protect Toledo citizens.

It all goes back to the early hours of Monday, January 18th, 2021, when Toledo Police received reports that someone was vandalizing Holy Rosary Cathedral on Collingwood Boulevard in Toledo’s Old West End. 

When police confronted the suspect, 27-year old Christopher Harris, it led to an armed standoff during which Harris shot and killed 24-year-old Officer Brandon Stalker. 

Police returned fire killing Harris.

Four years later, it’s still a painful memory for the people who knew him the best. 

“He had a lot of friends. But he was always smiling, always happy, always wanted to do things for everybody. Did so much for my friends and just anybody,” said Cosette Stalker. “He would help anybody with anything. That’s what he was about. That’s what he’s been raised to do. That’s just what he was about. It was definitely, it’s tough.”

Officer Stalker was a 2015 graduate of Whitmer High School. He played baseball in high school. 

After graduation Stalker helped coach the Whitmer baseball team, serving as a mentor to many kids.

That’s why Stalker’s family says it only made sense for people to celebrate him right in the heart of the community he knew the best, in the parking lot by Washington Junior High. 

Some of his Brandon’s closest friends shared what he meant to them at Satruday’s event.

“Brandon was literally like one of the most heartfelt people you could ever meet in your life. Like one of the people that would literally take the shirt off his back if somebody needed it no matter the time or day,” Amber Webster. “I went through a lot in life, and he was always like the person that was there no matter what.” 

Another one of Stalker’s friends, Noah Zimmerman, also talked about his impact on those around him.

“Just the biggest heart anybody could possibly have. Like his smile and his laugh, just so contagious, so could make any hard moment light.” said Zimmerman.

His mother to this day, continues to cope and process the loss.

“It’s hard, and I thought it was going to get easier, but it’s not. It’s getting harder,” said Stalker. 

Still, his legacy will always live on. 

“We just keep his name alive and keep him going and talk about him all the time, Just talk about him all the time like he’s here, And he’s watching over us,” said Stalker.