By Suzie Ziegler
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A mural has appeared in downtown Nashville that honors six police officers who evacuated residents before the Christmas suicide bombing.
According to WZTV, the mural appeared overnight Monday near the Hard Rock Cafe on Broadway. The mural currently sits in place of a window that was blown out in the explosion. Once the window is fixed, the Hard Rock intends to bring the artwork inside and make it a permanent fixture of the restaurant, says WZTV.
The “I Believe in Heroes” mural was organized by a non-profit called “I Believe in Nashville,” which is raising money for the bombing victims.
The six featured officers are credited with going door-to-door Christmas morning to evacuate apartments. Police were in the area investigating a bomb threat after a parked RV was found blaring an eerie warning message. The RV exploded, killing the bomber and injuring several bystanders.
Nashville Police released bodycam video last week of officers walking around the neighborhood that morning. The video shows officers asking residents to leave, walking past the RV moments before the blast and then running back to the blast site.
“They didn’t think about their own lives, they didn’t think about protecting themselves, they thought about the citizens,” Chief John Drake told WZTV. “They went about knocking on doors and had they not made their efforts, we’d be talking about the tragedy of people and lives lost.”
WZTV identified the six officers below:
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Officer Brenna Hosey, who has been with the department for 4 years;
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Officer James Luellen, who has been with the department for 3 years;
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Officer Michael Sipos, who has been with the department for 16-months;
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Officer Amanda Topping, who has been with the department for 21 months;
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Officer James Wells, who has been with the department for 21-months; and
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Sergeant Timothy Miller, who has been with the department for 11 years.
“They may consider what they did as just a regular part of their duties, but we in Nashville know it was extraordinary,” Mayor John Cooper previously told reporters. “It’s a great thing that our city has such heroes.”
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