HollyMatkinWesterville, OH – A private, liberal arts college in Ohio has offered full-ride scholarships to the four daughters of one of Westerville’s murdered police heroes, the school announced on Feb. 21.
Otterbein University said it will assist the children of slain Westerville Police Department (WPD) Officer Eric Joering by providing a college education to each of his children.
“Otterbein University is committing to full tuition scholarships for each of Officer Eric Joering’s four daughters for a period of up to four years of full-time study to assure that each of them has sufficient support to complete an undergraduate degree at Otterbein,” the university said in a news release. “Our community hopes this act of kindness will bring some peace to his children during this difficult time by providing them long-term security and support.”
In an interview with FOX News, Otterbein University President Kathy Krendl explained that the scholarships were “a spontaneous and unanimous decision identified by Otterbein’s senior leadership.”
“Our entire Westerville community is rallying to extend love and kindness in the midst of this tragedy,” Krendl said. “Ensuring access to an education is the most meaningful gift Otterbein can provide.”
The Westerville city council voted to retire fallen hero’s K9 partner, Sam, so that he could remain with Officer Joering’s widow and daughters, FOX News reported.
“We understood that this would be an opportunity to help with the healing process for the Joering family to enable Sam to be able to return to them for their companionship,” city manager David Collinsworth told KXAN.
On Feb. 14, Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation CEO Frank Siller announced that the organization would be paying off the slain officer’s mortgage, as a gesture of support for the family he was forced to leave behind.
“We know their dad was a hero,” Siller said, turning towards the officer’s wife. “Your husband was a hero.”
Officer Joering, 39, and his partner, Officer Anthony Morelli, 54, were ambushed on Feb. 10, when they responded to a “potential domestic situation,” The New York Times reported.
“These were two of the best we had,” Westerville Chief Joe Morbitzer said. “This was their calling and they did it right, they knew how to do policing the right way, both of them.”