"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of Albuquerque Police Officer Gerald "Jerry" Cline

Officer Jerry Cline was killed in the line of duty in 1983. His wife, Yolanda, transformed her grief into a force for healing and became the national president of Concerns of Police Survivors.

Albuquerque Officer Gerald "Jerry" Cline

McLean, VA (November 4, 2025) - On February 24, 1983, Albuquerque Police Officer Gerald “Jerry” Cline responded to a call at a low-rent motel. A man was threatening others with a rifle. Soon after he arrived on the scene, Officer Cline was ambushed and killed by a single rifle shot fired at point-blank range. His killer was soon arrested and sentenced to death—a sentence that was commuted to life imprisonment by an out-going governor. Jerry was a husband and father of three children. Jerry’s wife, Yolanda, transformed her grief into a force for healing. She became the national president of C.O.P.S. (the Concerns of Police Survivors) and helped thousands of families navigate the pain of losing a loved one in the line of duty. Yolanda once told a story about Jerry. He’d been in an officer-involved shooting a decade before he was murdered. Jerry suffered post-traumatic stress. He called the hospital every day to check on the condition of the man he shot. The story exemplified how tough the job can be, but more importantly it showed just how much officers care—even for those who would do them harm.

Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-77f?r