A Rockwall, Texas, company has raised a gesture of support for law enforcement everywhere at their storefront on a busy interstate.
Ekin Nutrition has erected what it proudly calls the biggest Thin Blue Line flag in Texas in front of its store on Interstate 30 in support of the nationwide Back the Blue campaign.
The flag was raised by the store owner on Sept. 14 to show solidarity after two Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies were shot multiple times in an ambush two days before.
“I don’t do anything unless I can do it big!” Hagaman told the news outlet.
“Countless people in uniform put their lives on the line for us every day,” he added, “and any time I can say ’thank you’ and show some support, I will.”
The deputies, a 24-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, remain unidentified. Both deputies were shot in the head; they were rushed to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, where they underwent lifesaving surgery and are in critical condition.
“Actions, words, have consequences, and our job does not get any easier because people don’t like law enforcement,” the sheriff said.
The press statement noted that the suspect is a male black 28–30 years-old who was wearing dark clothing. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department is offering a $100,000 reward for information.
Ekin Nutrition’s Rockwall store has had a 50-foot aluminum flagpole since 2016, erected with the intention of displaying either the Stars and Stripes or the Texas state flag, depending on the occasion.
As of Sept. 14, thanks to Hagaman’s efforts, the Thin Blue Line billows solemnly in the breeze outside the Rockwall Village shopping center on Interstate 30 in a statement of solidarity with police everywhere.
Speaking to CBS DFW, the store owner stated proudly, “The smallest county in Texas has to have the biggest flag.”
