CANFIELD — The family of a fallen police officer in Lorain, Ohio will have their home's mortgage paid off by nonprofit group Tunnels to Towers, according to Back the Blue Ohio organizer Christine Oliver. 

“We wanted to do something for this family, because you can't bring back your loved ones, but maybe we can help do things to lessen their burden,” Oliver said at a rally on the Canfield Village Green Saturday afternoon. Oliver said Back the Blue Ohio had reached out to the foundation to apply for the gift.

Officer Phillip Wagner was killed in July when a suspect opened fire on him and another officer while they were eating lunch in their police cars. He left behind a wife and three children, one of them less than a year old. 

“He was a great officer, one of my members in the Fraternal Order of Police, and what happened to him was tragic. I mean, he was murdered,” said TJ Assion, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. 

Saturday’s Back the Blue rally was the sixth such event in Canfield since 2020. It was held in honor of Wagner, with Back the Blue Ohio raising an additional $5,000 for his family. Assion accepted the check on the family's behalf.

“It's a little overwhelming, and it's very humbling,” Assion said. “I wish I didn't have to do this, of course, the world would be a much better place with Officer Wagner still here. … To be here to represent him, to honor his memory, that means the world to me.”

The rally opened with a motorcade from the Blue Knights and closed at 5 p.m. with a 21-gun salute from the Youngstown Police Department Honor Guard. In between, attendees could participate in a basket raffle and vote for their favorite vehicle in the classic car show. 

In addition to remembering fallen officers, speakers at the event also emphasized the importance of thanking and respecting active members of the police force.

“While we know that the overwhelming majority of our community members, our citizens, support the Blue, it's become popular to not want to publicly support the Blue,” Assion said. “So when there's events that take place such as this, then yes, I will come out and stand proudly with these people.”

Some local officials attended the rally, including Mahoning County Commissioners Anthony Traficanti and Geno Difabio, as well as Austintown Township Trustees Robert Santos and Bruce Shepas. When introducing Santos to speak, Oliver — who currently serves as Canfield City Council president and is running for Mahoning County Commissioner — called on the community to support a proposed police levy in the township.

“We need people to support these levies so we can support our police department and keep our families safe out there,” Oliver said. “It’s very, very important that we always support our first responders.”

Oliver also shared some announcements about upcoming Back the Blue Ohio events and efforts. She said John Kufleitner of Kufleitner Automotive Group has pledged a total of $7,500 to the group between this year and next, and that plans are in the works for Kufleitner to hold “the biggest car show the Valley has ever seen” at his Boardman dealership next year for Back the Blue Ohio. 

Additionally, Oliver said she is the president of a new Fraternal Order of Police Associates chapter, the first in the Valley, which is open to anyone who is a supporter of law enforcement. The effort was spearheaded by Lisa Beam, a deputy sheriff with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department.