Friends Gather to Say Goodbye at Chief's Wake

Posted 4:00 a.m. Jul 19, 1997 — Updated 4:00 a.m. Jul 19, 1997

ROCKY MOUNT — Sharpsburg is a small town that's dealing with a big loss. Itspolice chief, Wayne Hathaway was shot while trying to protect thecommunity he served for 25 years. He lost his battle to live severalhours later. The shock of his gut-wrenching death hasn't even begun towear off. Now the hard task of saying goodbye must begin. Saturdaynight, the community gathered for Hathaway's wake in Rocky Mount.

You will hear only good things in Sharpsburg, if you ask people aboutWayne Hathaway. The police chief that was gunned down in the line of dutyWednesday meant business, according to local residents. But at the sametime, he could deal with people in a fair manner.

Friends, family, and fellow officers gathered at the Johnston Funeral Homein Rocky Mount Saturday night to say goodbye to a man who set the standardfor police work and for loyalty.

Sergeant Grant of the Rocky Mount Police Department says you often hearabout police officers being assaulted or murdered, but it hits home whenit happens close by to a fellow officer.

Everyone WRAL'sBrian Bowmanspoketo characterized Chief Hathaway as the kind of man who would do anythingfor anyone. Folks were proud of the way he upheld the law, and sayHathaway will be sorely missed. Sam McKnight says it best.

"Chief Hathaway helped anyone who needed help. And that's more than I cansay about a lot of us. If everybody in Rocky Mount and Sharpsburg werelike Wayne Hathaway, the world would be a better place for us to live."

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