Deputy Prorok honored at Chester basketball game

Source: KELO-LAND TV
Author: Don Jorgensen

CHESTER, S.D. (KELO) -- Tuesday night the son of fallen Moody County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok played in his first high school basketball game since his father's untimely death last week.

But as you're about to see, this was a gymnasium packed full of emotion and sent a powerful message about more than just the game of basketball.

At Chester Area High School this game was about wearing the uniform -- not that one -but rather this uniform.

One by one officers from several agencies walked into the gymnasium single file and saluted Prorok's family as they walked by.

You could have heard a pin drop, because it was all about paying respect to Ken Prorok, who would have been sitting in his same bleacher spot next to his wife to watch their son play ball.

"When law enforcement deaths happen in the line of duty the blue line that comes together is amazing and I 100 percent love to see it and a thousand percent hate to have to see it," Moody County Sheriff Troy Wellman said.

Before the starting lineups, a moment of silence.

JD Prorok, a sophomore on the team, has been introduced dozens of times before, but this night the fans fought back tears and embraced the moment when they called his name.

JD was not alone. He circled the court showing his gratitude for their support.

The game still had to go on and that's what Ken Prorok would have wanted. He was once a coach himself.

But in law enforcement, there are no timeouts.

"We have to be strong we can't be a factory that can close for a couple of days and let people deal with their emotions and figure life out and finish production at the end of the week we still have to provide coverage in some form of fashion," Sheriff Wellman said.

Just like Deputy Prorok was doing the night he was killed.

Sheriff Wellman says JD lost his dad, but he will forever now have a father figure in uniform all across the country.

"If people realize who he is when he says I'm JD Prorok, I'm the son of former deputy Ken Prorok he will have an immediate family member if he goes somewhere where law enforcement or someone in law enforcement no matter where he goes," Wellman said.