EASTMAN, Ga. — Almost two years ago, Dylan Harrison was on his first shift as a police officer in Almo.
According to previous coverage, his life would be taken in an ambush-style attack in apparent retaliation for arresting someone else earlier in the night.
Now, Dylan's memory and his impact on the community will stand tall in a new way. According to Dylan's mother, Kathy Harrison, they wanted to do something to remember the person that Dylan was.
"All he wanted to do was protect and serve," Kathy said. "He had such a heart for others such a kindness and gentleness and that's been so hard because it's a void in our lives."
One of her biggest fears since Dylan's death was that people might forget the great man her son was.
"It's what I live for to make sure that my son's name was not forgotten and that he didn't die in vain," Kathy said.
In order to do this, the Harrison family partnered with Saving a Hero's Place to build a custom chair in Dylan's honor.
The family hosted a presentation Thursday, and they had quite the audience. The turnout to remember her son left his mother feeling grateful.
"It's just been amazing and the turnout here today just speaks volumes about how people felt about Dylan," Kathy said. "It does this mama's heart so good."
Steven Cady was Harrison's partner at the Oconee Drug Task Force. Cady believed Harrison was different from the other agents.
"He'd talk to confidential informants or he'd talk to someone even if he was arresting them. He'd talk to them like they were his equal and he really tried to get them to help," Cady said. "He was never one to stack charges or try to hurt somebody."
All of this helped leave a lasting memory in the mind of Cady.
"He was trying to make a difference in people's lives and in the communities' lives," Cady said. "That's what makes him a great agent."
This tragedy left two-year-old Brody Harrison without his father, but Kathy Harrison wants Brody to know he is never alone.
"What I want them to realize is that every man in uniform is daddy to Brody," Harrison said.
The Harrison family hope to open a park named after Dylan, but they also hope it will be a space for all fallen officers in the Dudley area. The family also hopes to meet at the park every year in October to remember their fallen officer, Dylan Harrison.