Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis ordered flags at all County buildings be lowered to half-staff on May 26, the day of the funeral for Detention Service Officer Michael Edward Wall.
Probation Departments from throughout California attended the ceremonies at Christ Second Baptist Church of Long Beach, along with countless family and friends, an Honor Guard and bagpipers from The Orange County Sheriffs Association.
The Wall family members thanked The Probation Officers Union, AFSCME 685 for working so diligently to make this ceremony so special and stated that Michael’s friends and colleagues at Central Juvenile Hall, were all a part of their family.
“We all know that Michael died on the Job,” said Probation Officers Union AFSCME Local 685 President Hans Liang. “But the important thing to remember is that he died ‘doing his job’, doing his job to protect the youth under his supervision, doing his job to keep them from harm, doing the job that so many of us dedicate ourselves to do, every single day. As we say goodbye to Michael today, let us keep his memory close and let his dedication be a reminder of what it means to be the best of us.”
Wall, 49, suddenly went into cardiac arrest as he was running behind one of his young charges at The Central Juvenile Hall facility where he worked.
Wall is survived by his daughter Aubrey Wall; his three sisters Jewel Smyth; Dionne Wall; and Angelique Smyth; and his brother Sylvester Wall Jr.
Wall had been with the Los Angeles County Probation Department for 14 years. Wall’s biography was read into the board meeting record by Supervisor Janice Hahn on May 18 and the meeting was adjourned in recognition of his passing.
