MOORESVILLE, N.C. — It’s been one year since Mooresville Police Officer Jordan Sheldon was shot and killed at a traffic stop. His death sparked numerous changes within the department.
WCNC Charlotte anchor Sarah French exclusively sat down with Sheldon’s family six months after his death. Now, we look back on the life and legacy he leaves behind.
“We just think he always wanted to be the hero," Sheldon’s mom, Susan Ledford, previously said.
"He wanted to be a police officer," his sister, Lauren Sheldon, said. "He genuinely wanted to make a difference and he genuinely wanted to help people.”
After his death, Sheldon was honored by the community.
"Jordan loved being a policeman," Susan Ledford said. "He would want other police officers to be safe so that's our whole reason for being here."
His legacy making the job safer for other police officers.
In that exclusive interview six months after his death, the family told French that Sheldon had many safety concerns before he was killed.
RELATED: Fallen officer repeatedly complained about faulty equipment, inadequate safety, family says
"He told us he felt he did not have backup," Lauren Sheldon previously told WCNC.
"That was a fear that he said multiple times," Carson Ledford said. "That he was afraid because he didn't have backup."
Their outcry of concern resulted in a change of protocol within the Mooresville Police Department. Two officers are now dispatched to every call.
"Probably our biggest and most egregious concern is that he was alone when he died in terms of officers there," Carson Ledford said.
Sheldon’s family also had numerous concerns about missing or malfunctioning equipment. A week after our WCNC Charlotte investigation, Mooresville’s Police Chief Damon Williams submitted his letter of resignation.
In the aftermath of Officer Sheldon’s death, the department saw a wave of resignations and terminations.
For Sheldon’s family, the one year anniversary of his death was just too difficult to talk about. Their focus right now… on the life that he lived.
Officer Sheldon will be one of 307 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC, adding to the nearly 22,000 killed in the line of duty already memorialized there.
Anyone interested in viewing can join law enforcement leaders, celebrities, U.S. officials, and American icons come together to pay tribute to our fallen in a live-streamed Candlelight Vigil.
Watch from anywhere in the world as the names of those 307 brave men and women are read aloud in respect, honor, and remembrance.
The Virtual Candlelight Vigil will be held on May 13 at 8 p.m. EST. Click here for more information.
“He loved being a policeman," Sheldon's mother told WCNC Charlotte. "That’s how he got the nickname officer smiley, because he was so happy doing that.”
RELATED VIDEO: Officer Sheldon procession ends at funeral home in Concord