Fallen Lewes officer to be honored

Seventy-five years after Charles Wilson Futcher Sr. died in the line of duty, the Lewes police officer will likely be honored with a plaque in Zwaanendael Park. The parks and recreation commission voted unanimously April 21 to recommend city council approve the plaque.

JuneRose Futcher has spearheaded the effort to recognize her grandfather.

"His loss had a tremendous impact on his immediate family – my late father, my late Aunt Helen, my grandmother and the broad communities of Kent and Sussex counties," she said.

Futcher was killed in a high-speed pursuit of a suspect on Savannah Road in 1939. He served 10 years with the Lewes Police Department prior to his death.

JuneRose has garnered support from all levels of government, from Mayor-elect Ted Becker to Rep. Steve Smyk. At the recommendation of the Lewes Police Department, she connected with the Delaware Fraternal Order of Police, which has pledged to pay for the plaque. Lewes Historian Hazel Brittingham has offered her assistance in tracking down documents to help tell Futcher's story.

If approved by city council, a ceremony is expected to be held in September. The Dover Police & Fire Pipes and Drums corps has committed to attend the ceremony, and Smyk has secured an honor guard.