Attorney General William Barr delivered a eulogy at the funeral service honoring slain Cleveland Detective James Skernivitz, who was killed while undercover as part of the Justice Department’s anti-crime task force dubbed “Operation Legend.”
Skernivitz, 53, was fatally shot in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, Sept. 3, while sitting in an unmarked car. Investigators have described it as an attempted armed robbery. An 18-year-old and two younger teenagers were arrested in connection to the shooting. Skernivitz’s funeral service, which began with a bagpipe procession as his flag-draped casket was carried into the arena, was held at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday morning. The 22-year police veteran, husband, and father of three children was praised by Barr and by fellow officers for his humor, courage, and willingness to serve.
“Jim served with distinction … on the Cleveland police force for over twenty years, and in his final days, he was also a sworn officer of Operation Legend, a critical federal initiative to support state and local law enforcement in combating violent crime here in Cleveland and in other cities,” Barr said. “He died serving this city and the country, and both will be forever grateful. The stated mission of the Cleveland Division of Police is to serve as guardians of the Cleveland community, and Jim embodied that mission throughout his life.”
Barr noted that two weeks prior, he had visited the Gang Impact Unit in which Skernivitz had served since 2013 before recently assisting with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force as part of Operation Legend, adding that “as a veteran officer, he didn’t have to take on that dangerous mission … but once again, he volunteered, and once again, he made a difference.” The attorney general said he “witnessed firsthand the superb work that he and his colleagues were doing to get violent criminals off the streets” and that “it was only a few days after my visit that Jim was killed in the line of duty, making the ultimate sacrifice by laying down his life for the community he served.”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t know Jim personally, but in a sense, I do know Jim. I know him well because I know the strength of character, the decency, the courage, and the commitment, which, although too uncommon in society generally, are common virtues in the ranks of America’s police. Jim represents what is great and good about our police,” Barr said. “I pray his tragic death may help remind people, those that need reminding, of some of the basic truths and help stop some of the vilification of the police that is going on these days in some quarters … I hope people outside this arena pause and reflect on Jim’s sacrifice and what it represents, not just the sacrifice of his life, the ultimate sacrifice, but the sacrifice inherent in the vocation of policing.”
Doug Brown, a Cleveland police chaplain, remarked that “it seems fitting that this service for Skern is on what has come to be known as Patriot’s Day, the commemoration of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in 2001.” He picked funeral readings from Psalms 23, which reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me,” and the Beatitudes. He also pointed to the passage in which Jesus Christ says, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and declared that “Jim was truly a peacemaker in his work and his life.”
Brown also talked about difficulties of the past few months, including the coronavirus pandemic, social unrest following the death of George Floyd in police custody, and a rise in crime and violence in some cities.
“God has seen us these past several months and knows how hard it’s been, and he gave us a hero, a man who selflessly gave his own life for this city,” Brown said.
Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams called Skernivitz “a policeman’s policeman” and noted that “for Jimmy’s police application … under reasons for being a police officer, his answer was, ‘I wanted to protect the city that I grew up in and keep it safe.’” Skernivitz was a lifelong Cleveland resident and graduated from the Cleveland Police Academy in June 1998.
Another officer read a letter from Skernivitz’s wife, Kristen, who said: “I don’t think such a thing exists as the right way to die, but because of Jim, I sure know the right way to live. Jim used to playfully ask, ‘How much do you love me?’ And my response was always, ‘Tons and tons, baby. Tons and tons.’ So today, I send tons and tons of love to each of you on behalf of the love of my life. Learn the lessons. Enjoy the laughs. Love the people. And live a life in honor of Skern and all the lives lost to violence. And stop the hate. Stop the violence. Just stop.”
Barr concluded, “It’s the courage we saw 19 years ago on Sept. 11, when officers responded to the attack on the World Trade Center. Jim had that courage. Our officers don’t ask for thanks, but it’s time that the American people give our police the recognition and appreciation they are due and thank them for the sacrifices they and their families make. That would be a great legacy if we could bring some good out of the evil of Jim’s death and move closer to the day when the public recognizes the commitment and service and sacrifice of their guardians.”
A total of 2,977 people were killed by al Qaeda terrorists during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, including 37 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department officers, 23 New York City Police Department officers, 343 New York City firefighters, eight emergency technicians, and a New York Fire Patrol personnel.
