Backed by honor
State Corrections Local 105 escorts a brother
to rightful remembrance
n STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMBER RAMUNDO
The procession of those guided through the maze of law en-
forcement officers into the Capitol Mall can’t help but fixate on
the monumental loss that led them to be there. Ebony Semmon
found it hard to believe that she and her son, Gavin, were pres-
ent among the families of the fallen at the Candlelight Vigil. But
even without her husband, she was not nearly alone. It was her
clan of supporters – her son, sister, aunt and best friend, along
with Sergeant John Basham – who kept Ebony’s feet moving
forward while she held tightly onto a single long-stemmed red
rose with remembrance.
She thought of her husband, State Corrections Local 105
member Nikeelan Semmon, the anchor she lost on July 1, 2016
when he died of a heart attack while working at the Albert C.
Wagner Youth Correctional Facility. Almost one year later, be-
ing at the Vigil unearthed the reality of her husband’s death in
a way she had yet to face but was impossible to ignore as her
family was seated amongst a crowd of those left behind by their
heroic loved ones.
“It’s surreal. It was as if I was outside of myself watching the
scene,” Ebony described about what it was like to be escorted
into the Vigil on the arm of Basham, who worked with Semmon
and was one of the first officers to try to revive him after he col-
lapsed. “I knew about (the Vigil) because my husband support-
ed it every year, never knowing that one day I would actually be
escorted in for him.”
Somewhere amidst the emotions of sorrow, confusion and so
much loss, Ebony and her support system of Local 105 mem-
bers felt a certain sense of contentment. For them, there was
a distinct valor to being at National Police Week, where they
could stand before Semmon’s name enshrined on the National
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall and hear him hon-
ored at the Candlelight Vigil among those who made the ulti-
mate sacrifice doing the jobs they loved.
“Seeing his name on the wall and being here for Ebony and
Gavin brings a little bit of closure,” shared Basham who was
promoted from sergeant to lieutenant the day after the Vigil.
“There’s still a lot of emotions that come up when you think
about it: his loss, the family and trying to move on.”
The closure Semmon’s family and Local 105 members found
at National Police Week came after months of Local 105 mem-
bers defending their brother’s right to be recognized as a line of
duty death by sending a personal request to the National Law
Enforcement Memorial describing how Semmon’s passing on
the job classified him for the recognition. So, when Ebony lit
the candle of remembrance in the crowd of glowing light, she
lit it with pride, knowing exactly what that flame represented:
remembrance, honor, sorrow, love and the comfort of knowing
that her husband’s spirit was present in a tribute to the nation’s
54
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JUNE 2017
Joe Basham (front right) stands holding Gavin Semmon with Ebony Sem-
mon, (front middle) and her family after escorting them into the Candle-
light Vigil.
State Corrections Local 105 members at the Candlelight Vigil to honor
fallen brother Nikeelan Semmon.
fearless leaders.
“When I light that candle it’s a reflection of my anchor
keeping me strong and keeping my feet grounded,” Ebony ex-
plained, foreseeing the events of the night ahead.
Local 105’s dedication to Semmon extends beyond the
flames lit at the Candlelight Vigil and the efforts made to give
him the honor they felt he so rightly deserved. It plays out each
and every day, as Basham and the rest of their law enforcement
family continue to check in with Ebony and Gavin, reminding
them that they will never be alone and that their hero’s legacy
will live on forever.
“I’m here for her,” Basham stressed at the Vigil. “To be by her
side on one of the worst days of her life and to see her now as
she’s got a little bit of a smile on her face…it kind of all comes
together today.” d