Lorain officer Phillip Wagner added to Lorain County Police Memorial (VIDEO)

ELYRIA — Police officers from across the county joined in a solemn remembrance on Wednesday, as they added Lorain police officer Phillip Wagner to the long list of local law enforcement members who have been killed in the line of duty. Wagner, 35, of North Ridgeville was killed in an ambush shooting in the city in July 2025 that also injured two other officers before the shooter was killed by return fire. During the annual Lorain County Police Memorial Service on Wednesday, Wagner's name was added to the memorial. It was the first time in four years that the ceremony included mourning the loss of a new officer, since the addition of Lorain County Sheriff's Deputy Joel Rapose, who died after a medical emergency at the Lorain County Justice Center in 2022. It was the first time that an officer in Lorain County died in a shooting since the death of Elyria officer James Kerstetter in 2010. "(Wagner) made a meaningful difference in the lives of those he served," Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said during the ceremony. "He exemplified what it means to be a member of the Lorain Police Department, and for that, he will never be forgotten." After Wagner was added to the wall, Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Tanya Czack delivered the keynote speech of the ceremony. "Every name on this wall represents a story that didn't get to finish," she said. "A family that carries an empty chair. A partner that still hears a voice on the radio that will never answer again. And this year, we add another name; Officer Phillip Wagner. Officer Wagner wasn't just a name and he wasn't just a badge. He was a man who chose every single day to step into a role that demands courage that most people will never be asked to give. Let's be honest about that; what we do, what they do, isn't about being fearless, it is about showing up anyway." Czack said that a loss, whether it was as fresh as the death of Wagner or one those that date back to the start of the memorial, was felt by not just the entire law enforcement community, but also their families and the residents they serve. "When we lose one, we all carry it," she said. "And if we are being honest, remembering isn't just enough. Because the real test of what we do today isn't what we say when we are gathered, it is what we carry with us when we leave. It is easy to stand in a moment like this and feel united, it is harder to stay that way when the headlines change, when the noise comes back or when the job is judged by its worst moments instead of its everyday sacrifices." As the names of the 22 county officers killed in the line of duty were read, an officer or deputy from each of their departments came forward to place a rose atop a folded American flag in front of the memorial. As Wagner's name was read last, Lorain police officer Brent Payne, one of the officers wounded in the shooting that killed Wagner, placed the rose. As he walked away from the memorial, Payne was handed a second rose that he took and then presented to Wagner's mother, Wanda Wagner. Payne embraced Wanda Wagner, and then turned and pulled Lorain officer Richard Fadenholz into a hug as well. "I am so blessed and honored to be surrounded and supported by all of these officers," Wanda Wagner said after the ceremony. "Being around them makes me feel strong. They are my new family, and they are what is going to get me through this." "Them and God," she added, pointing to the sky. In addition to his mother, Wagner is survived by his wife, Jessica, their children and two siblings. On Thursday, Phillip Wagner will also be added to the state Fallen Officers Police Memorial in London, Ohio, in a ceremony at 11 a.m. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.