Fallen Canonsburg police officer remembered
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Ashley Bashioum holds her two sons, Cole and Carson, as the casket of her husband, Officer Scott Bashioum, is carried Wednesday from Church of the Covenant in Washington.
Photo Courtesy of the Canonsburg Police Department
Scott Bashioum will be remembered for his service, both to the community as a police officer and to the country as a veteran.
But those who knew him well will also remember the little things – his enjoyment of fishing trips; his appreciation in making use of secondhand castoffs; his good humor, no matter how early or late in the day; his generous skills as a handyman.
“He fixed so many things for so many people and didn’t ask for anything,” said his colleague and friend, Canonsburg police Officer Matthew Tharp, who eulogized Bashioum Nov. 16.
Bashioum, a seven-year veteran of the Canonsburg Police Department, was shot and killed earlier this month while responding to a domestic violence call. His widow, Ashley Bashioum, asked mourners to stand and join hands in tribute to her husband during his funeral in Church of the Covenant in Washington.
“We promise to do our very best to strengthen bonds between police officers and communities. We will keep forging pathways for opportunities so that we can end the cycle of violence. We will never stop helping, Scott, the way you helped each and every one of us,” Ashley Bashioum said, her voice breaking. “Rest in peace, because your brothers and sisters in blue have it from here.”
Ashley Bashioum praised her husband for his devotion to his four children and his career.
“Scott always vowed to make his life as a police officer count for something, and I think it’s safe to say he succeeded,” she said.
Bashioum was killed and Officer James Saieva was wounded Nov. 10 when they were ambushed while answering a call to a domestic dispute. The shooter killed his pregnant wife, Dalia Sabae, before shooting and killing himself.
At least 800 officers, with black mourning bands across their badges, as well as firefighters and emergency medical responders, converged to pay tribute to one of their own.
Several officers acted as pallbearers while Bashioum’s family, including his sons, and Saieva acted as honorary pallbearers.
People lined the streets to witness more than 300 police vehicles in a procession that detoured through the borough where Bashioum gave his life to National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township, where he was laid to rest.
Bashioum was a graduate of Burgettstown High School and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He served during the Persian Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom and retired as a senior master sergeant after 29 years of service. He served as assistant chief at Slovan Fire Department, Company 18, and earned life member honors.
Information on the “Officer Scott Bashioum Children Memorial Fund,” established by the Western Pennsylvania Police Benevolent Foundation, can be found at www.wppbf.org.