Officer Elijah Garretson remembered with runs in Boston and Texas

Courtesy Photo/CCPD - The family of Officer Elijah Garretson along with Garretson's CCPD family ran in Boston and in Texas on Saturday to remember him.

By LYNETTE SOWELL-STEVENS

Cove Leader-Press

The family of fallen Copperas Cove Police Officer Elijah Garretson remembered him on Saturday, along with other first responders who died in the line of duty at the annual Run to Remember in Boston.

This event is a five-mile run/half-marathon and honors fallen first responders.

His parents, Roger and Lea Garretson, along with his sister, Laney, took to the five-mile course on Saturday morning and walked as Team Ofc Elijah Garretson.

Garretson grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, a little more than 50 miles northwest of Boston.

“While this event exists to honor all who have served and sacrificed, for us, this is deeply personal. Our focus is on honoring Elijah—carrying his memory with us, step by step. There will also be a tribute to him along the race route, which makes this especially meaningful for our family,” Roger Garretson announced on his Facebook page.

The run selects a charity each year, and for 2026 the charity is Mass Fallen Heroes.

Donations of support and in honor of Office Garretson can still be made at https://www.pledgereg.com/532350.

At the same time on Saturday, members of Garretson’s police family – the Copperas Cove Police Department – and other supporters ran a 10K in his honor and memory.

“The department has maintained regular contact with Elijah’s family, and when Roger Garretson shared on Facebook his plans to participate in Boston’s Run to Remember, Captain Nace put out a call for officers who wished to participate in a solidarity 10K run locally,” said Lt. Rick Counter with the Copperas Cove Police Department.

Counter said the officers departed from the department on Saturday, with plans to run a 10K onto Fort Hood as a way to show additional respect for those who serve in the armed forces.

“Midway through the run, they came across a gate post on Tank Destroyer with a sign displaying Elijah’s badge number, 118. They stopped to take a photograph before completing the remainder of their run,” said Lt. Counter.

On January 10, 2026, Officer Garretson was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call.

Garretson, age 27, was in his first year with the Copperas Cove Police Department, having graduated from Central Texas College Police Academy on June 27, 2025, the Honor Graduate of his class.