West Valley City • A year after Officer Cody Brotherson was killed on duty, his mother recalled the many roles he played during his life.
He was her firstborn son, an older brother, a friend and a protector as he worked his “dream job” as a police officer in the city he grew up in.
“You were our hero before anyone knew your name,” his mother said tearfully.
Brotherson died Nov. 6, 2016, when he was hit by three teens driving a stolen car as he attempted to lay spikes to stop them.
On the the anniversary of his death, hundreds gathered for a ceremony in Brotherson’s honor at Fairbourne Station Plaza. It was similar to a memorial service held days after he died, with loved ones sharing memories, his patrol car parked as a reminder of his sacrifice and the same song to end the evening: “Amazing Grace.”
As the music played, the fallen officer’s parents, Jenny and Jeff Brotherson, held each other and cried.
“Life has had many ups and downs since Cody‘s death,” Jenny Brotherson told the crowd. “Each day is still a challenge to try and accept that he is gone. The tiny amount of faith I had prior to his death almost completely disappeared.”
She challenged officers who’d pledged to honor her son every day to live up to their promise and she reminded families — especially of law enforcement officers — to constantly let loved ones know how important they are.
At the Monday night ceremony, City Councilman Don Christensen announced that the city was renaming the section of 4100 South where the officer died (from 2100 West to 3600 West) to Cody Brotherson Parkway.
On the morning Brotherson died, just after 3 a.m., officers saw three teens — ages 15, 15 and 14 — steal a car from the Boulder Pines Apartment Complex, 1535 W. 4040 South.
The officers tried to stop the vehicle, but it sped away, heading west on 4100 South. Officers threw tire spikes near Redwood Road, but that didn’t stop the car.
Brotherson, who’d pulled his car over near 2200 West, was attempting to lay down another set of tire spikes when the car hit him. The chase lasted less than a minute, and 25-year-old Brotherson died at the scene, about 50 yards west of his police car.
The teens’ vehicle was run off the road, police said, but the three fled on foot. They were later arrested, and in July, a judge sentenced them to be in custody at a juvenile detention center for “as long as possible.”