Slain Moscow officer’s legacy lives on 15 years later

May 19 marked the 15-year anniversary of the Moscow shooting spree that left four people dead, including Moscow Police Officer Lee Newbill.

And Saturday will mark the return of the safety fair that was named in Newbill’s honor.

The Officer Newbill Kids Safety Fair will resume after a two-year absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair will start at 10 a.m. in the Eastside Marketplace parking lot in Moscow.

Moscow Police Capt. Roger Lanier will attend the fair. He was part of the SWAT team that responded to the 2007 shooting spree that began at the Latah County Courthouse and ended with the shooter’s suicide at the First Presbyterian Church. Newbill, church sexton Paul Bauer, and the shooter’s wife, Crystal Hamilton were all killed in the shooting.

Lanier said that for law enforcement officers who were there that day, the memories are still fresh.

“There’s certain events in your career that really leave a mark on you and you remember them vividly, and this is one of them,” Lanier said.

He said the police department sent a current and former officer to the Idaho Peace Officers’ Memorial in Meridian earlier this month, where a ceremony is held every May to honor those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

They laid a rose at the memorial to honor Newbill.

Lanier said new officers learn about the May 19 shooting as part of their orientation to remind them how dangerous the job can be. When these types of incidents occur, officers are asked to make the best decisions they can at the time. That’s what Newbill did, Lanier said.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” Lanier said.

Jon Kimberling, co-chairman of the Officer Newbill Kids Safety Fair, said Newbill worked at the fair for several years as a certified car seat inspector. After he died, Newbill’s wife gave the event’s organizers permission to name the fair after her late husband.

“I think his family’s willingness to allow us to use his name has certainly been a positive force in sustaining people’s interest,” Kimberling said.

Kimberling said it is held on the first Saturday in June to coincide with children starting summer vacation. He said it is meant to provide parents with resources to keep their children safe.

Hundreds of bicycle helmets will be given away and trained volunteers will be there to perform safety checks on car seats. A LifeFlight helicopter is scheduled to arrive and give children the opportunity to sit in the pilot’s seat.

Kimberling said all are welcome to the fair, even those without children, because it is a chance for people to thank their local first responders. Local law enforcement officers, EMTs and firefighters will be there Saturday.

“They all do just such a great job of looking out for us — caring for us,” Kimberling said. “And I don’t think we can thank them enough.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.