Kristine Meldrum Denholm

Handling Threats, Police Magazine, October 2011
by Kristine Meldrum Denholm
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Norma Williams remembers the last time she saw her husband, Officer Tom Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Headed to a Halloween parade where she worked in Simi Valley, she was dressed as the Tin Man. Her husband of 18 years was getting dressed and offered to take Ryan, their six-year-old son, to school, since his wife didn't want to embarrass their boy with a mom who thought she was a "Wizard of Oz" character.

"He said, 'I can't give you a kiss because of all the makeup.' And I said, 'No, I left a spot for you on my forehead.'"

He kissed Norma, and then called several times that day to see if she had won best costume yet.

The last phone call from her husband came at 4:15 that afternoon. "I said, 'I hope you're not telling me you can't pick up Ryan!" and he said, 'No. I just called to tell you, 'I love you.'"

Shortly after that conversation, Norma Williams, officer's wife and mother of two, became a widow.  Read the rest of the story here.