For Immediate Release

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Tree Dedication Honors Former Littleton Police Employees

The Littleton Police Department (LPD) will honor three former employees with a Memorial Tree Dedication in their memory at the Highlands Ranch Training Facility, 9008 Santa Fe Drive, July 6 at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend and honor their memory.

• In October 2005 Master Police Officer Chris Grosz passed away after suffering a heart attack. Chris' goal since college was to become a police officer. He spent one year with the Manitou Springs Police Department before moving on to the LPD, where he served for 10 years. Chris was a SWAT negotiator, community outreach officer; and field training, defensive tactics, and firearms instructor. He was a dedicated officer and family man. He excelled at teaching police officers how to protect themselves. He was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2005 for an incident in which he defended a group of police officers that a suspect had attempted to run down with a car.

• In June 2007, Littleton Police Lieutenant C.W. Bill Black succumbed to cancer after 28 years in law enforcement. His passing was a great loss to LPD and the law enforcement community. Lieutenant Black was extremely dedicated to his profession, his family, his department, and his community. Bill was recognized as a law enforcement leader in officer safety, firearms, tactics, arrest control, and SWAT operations, earning a national reputation as an instructor, trainer, writer and lecturer. Bill was instrumental in developing the Littleton Fire and Rescue Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) as part of the SWAT Team. As a Master Firearms Instructor, Bill was instrumental in contributing to the development of the Colorado P.O.S.T. firearms program, and developed nationally-recognized firearms training. Bill helped start the firearms and arrest control programs at Arapahoe Community College's new police academy - a legacy that endures today. Bill taught at the academy, teaching firearms, defensive tactics, officer survival, report writing, and critical communications. He also taught in the Criminal Justice degree program. He was a published author of dozens of law enforcement articles.

• Kathi Christ lost a long battle with cancer in August of 2007. Kathi started as a dispatcher with the Littleton Police Department in 1989. She was selected to be the Communications Supervisor in 1997. Kathi not only provided many years of dedicated service to the City of Littleton and the law enforcement community, but as a volunteer. Kathi volunteered countless hours to the Colorado Special Olympics, the Law Enforcement Torch Run, and organized the annual Littleton Police Tip-a-Cop Fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics. Kathi was active with the Colorado Law Enforcement Torch Run since 1994. She participated in a variety of activities, and served on Colorado's Torch Run State Management Team for seven years. In 2006 Kathi was elected as the Deputy State Director. Kathi loved the time she spent with Special Olympics athletes. She served as part of the coaching staff for the Rocky Mountain Regional Team, coaching volleyball and soccer. Even while battling cancer, she faithfully and unselfishly served others.