STILLWATER, Minn. — On Thursday, a somber ceremony marked the one year anniversary of the death of Stillwater corrections officer Joseph Gomm. With around 400 people in attendance, the ceremony included a minute of silence.
"In a few minutes, our brother Joe keyed his radio in a cry for help," Reverend Martin Shanahan said. "I'm going to invite you in joining me in honoring this time."
Despite the passage of time, Gomm's death is still a surreal fact for his family.
"He touched a lot of people's hearts and people he didn't know," Gomm's sister Audrey Cone said. "His legacy and memory will live on."
Thursday, the overarching message was one of hope. Gomm's death inspired change like the legislature granting funding for 78 new corrections officers.
"Our need is greater than that but we believe it's a way for us to start," MN Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said. "The marketplace for workers has been difficult but we've had some recent success. We had academy going right now where between Stillwater and Oak Park Heights, we have some 27 officers in academy."
By installing a memorial bench along with a plaque, they made sure Gomm will never be forgotten. By releasing birds, they made sure their hopes rode on their wings into the future.
"To see the new administration, the new commissioner, going in the right direction-- that's a big bless," Gomm's brother-in-law George Wood said. "What happened today, what the DOC did was just unbelievable."