WILL YOU REMEMBER ME?
by Mike Pratt Sr.

Less than a week before he died, Omaha Police Ofc. Jason Tye Pratt asked his father to "Remember me." Michael Pratt Sr. said at the time his son's request seemed odd to him. "Tye and I had this ongoing joke," he said. "Whenever we would say goodbye, we'd say 'Are you going to miss me?' The last thing he asked me, the weekend before he was shot was 'Dad, are you going to remember me?' and I said 'Yeah, I'm going to miss you.' not thinking anything of it. And he said 'No, are you going to remember me?'"

On the last night Tye was at his parents' home, and the whole Pratt family was together. Rita, Tye's mother, spent all morning and the most of the day before making sure everything was set for a great dinner and good time. They laughed and told stories about the boys and the little grandchildren ran around the house and they all just hung on every word as the stories were told.

Tye's family was the last to leave. As the evening wound down, Tye went outside. His father was sitting on a chair in the garage and saw Tye looking straight down as he was kicking a small rock. This wasn't unusual, as he often did this when in deep thought.

Then he said "Are ya going to remember me?" The question didn't really register because he and his father had this long running joke... when they would see each other, one of them whould say... "Hey, did you miss me" when they met and "Are you going to miss me" as their way of saying good-bye.

Tye knew his father didn't really hear what he said that night when he said "Are ya going to remember me?" because his dad laughingly replied "Yeah, I'm going miss you." Tye said "No, are ya going to remember me, Dad?"

Knowing that Tye was on the E.R.U. Unit ( Emergency Response Unit ), The S.W.A.T. Team, his father said, "Does the SWAT team have something big coming up that's got you concerned?" Tye replied, "No". His dad said "You're so well trained and you have you buddies, you'll be fine".

Without looking up Tye said "Well, you never know, Dad." Just then, Tye's wife came out with the kids. Rita hugged and kissed everyone, his father leaned inside the truck, placed his hand around Tye's wrist and while rubbing the back of his head said "I love you son." Tye replied, "I love you, too, Dad."

Those were the last words Tye and his father spoke together.

Officer Name: Jason Tye Pratt
Officer City: Omaha Police
Omaha, NE
End of Watch: 9/19/03