Teddy bears made from uniforms of slain St. Louis County officer
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The widow of a slain St. Louis County police officer posted a heart-wrenching picture on Instagram showing their 2-year-old son hugging stuffed teddy bears made with his father’s uniform.
“He’s been asking for his daddy a lot,” an emotional Elizabeth Snyder told Fox2Now.com. “Which is hard, because I don’t know how to respond to him yet, because every time I look at him, I’m reminded that my husband’s not coming home."
St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder, 33, was fatally shot at point-blank range on Oct. 6. He was responding to a report of a disturbance in a normally quiet St. Louis County neighborhood of Green Park.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities said Snyder saw the 18-year--old suspect inside a car and ordered him to show his hands. Authorities said the suspect shot Snyder once with a 9 mm pistol that was found at the scene. Snyder was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.
The community has rallied around the family.A park where the couple used to run is now dedicated in his name.Hundreds of police officers gathered for the dedication ceremony. The park was renamed in honor of Snyder following a petition drive signed by thousands.
The photo of the boy, Malachi, was posted on Elizabeth’s Instagram account on Tuesday. The boy is smiling and holding the two bears closely. A large St. Louis County Police patch is easily visible on one of the bears. She posted, “There beautiful bears were made for us from Blake’s uniform.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I am deeply proud of my husband,” she said. “He is a hero. A true hero, and his son will grow up knowing that.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report