DELMAR, Md./De. -- Corporal Keith Heacook's grave is covered in flowers and flags, with tributes all around the town of Delmar.
The Delmar community is mourning his loss one year after the vicious attack that would claim his life three days later.
Corporal Heacook was beaten while responding to a call in the Yorkshire Estates community in Delmar early on Sunday, April 25, 2021.
Police say the suspect knocked the Corporal unconscious. A woman in the home says she saw the suspect standing over Corporal Heacook and repeatedly stomping on his head.
When backup officers arrived, Heacook was unresponsive with serious head injuries.
He was taken by ambulance to Shock Trauma in Baltimore where he was taken off of life support three days later.
Heacook was a 22 year veteran of the Delmar Police Department.
Tom Bauer, a neighbor in the Yorkshire Estates neighborhood says the wounds are still fresh.
"It's still fresh. It might be a year but it's still fresh. We drive by, we drive by where it happened and it's the first thing you think of," Bauer said.
Delmar Police Chief Ivan Barkley sits at his desk still mourning one of his own.
"I vividly recall the moment I got the phone call. 5:57am. And I got that call. Person on the other end said Chief, you've got a man down. From that moment on, it was surreal it really was. And probably one of the lowest moments in my career," Chief Barkley said.
Bauer says he will not soon forget the sacrifice of Corporal Heacook.
"We'll never forget him. I mean I wear the wristband. Delmar Strong and it's got Corporal Heacook on it and it's got the Franklin's on it. Anyone who lived here who lived in town, they're not going to forget anytime soon," he said.
Chief Barkley says everyone seems to be doing okay, but he admits everyone is still taking it one day at a time.
"Community support was one of the bright spots if there were any in all of this and that continues to this day. So proud of the way, I tell you Delmar and it was Delmar but it was Delmarva as a community the way they responded and the way they showed support," he said.
Steven Franklin, who was also beaten by the suspect that day thanks Corporal Heacook for his sacrifice.
"Corporal Heacook will be sorely missed forever, he was just an incredible individual. And it's too bad that he had to lose his life but I'm fortunate and thankful that I didn't. With bleeding on the brain it's a possibility that you can do," he said.
"I probably came closer than I ever have before but I had some good care and everybody in the neighborhood came out of the wood work to support us. It's been a fantastic community and we've been in this neighborhood ten years now and it was the best move we ever made," he continued.
The suspect, Randon Wilkerson is set to face a trial on November 28.
The original trial date was set for May but was postponed partly due to the pandemic, according to Delaware's Department of Justice.
