A North Carolina-based apparel company, Shield Republic, is promising to donate 100 percent of its profits from a T-shirt, decal and hoodie campaign to the family of fallen Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Whitten.
The T-shirts, hoodies and decals are printed with “Hold the Line” and the end-of-watch date of Feb. 3, 2020, the day Whitten died from a heart attack while undergoing treatment for injuries he suffered in the line of duty last May 2019. The black shirts have a white Texas-shaped emblem with the American flag with Whitten’s name and “Liberty County, Texas” written below.
T-shirts are $26.99; hoodies are $39.99; long sleeve shirts are $32.99; ladies’ tanks are $26.99; and decals are $19.99 for five. T-shirts and hoodies come in sizes of small to 4XL, long sleeve shirts are in sizes of small to 3XL, and ladies tanks are in sizes of small to 2XL.
All products are designed, printed and shipped in the United States. The campaign will cut off and no orders will be accepted after 30 days, so anyone who wants a shirt to support the Whitten family should place their orders as soon as possible.
Charlie Romero, a spokesperson for Shield Republic, says the last few months have been particularly tragic for law enforcement families.
“We have been bombarded with these campaigns because there have been so many fallen officers and fallen K-9s recently,” he said. “Some were killed in accidents while conducting traffic stops and others, like Whitten, were shot or killed in the line of duty.”
To place an order, go online to https://www.shieldrepublic.com/products/100-donation-hold-the-line-deputy-richard-whitten?_pos=1&_sid=c5dea4833&_ss=r&variant=31761484546126.
According to Capt. Billy Knox with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, this is a legitimate campaign to help the Whitten family.
“They will be sending the check afterward to the sheriff’s office and we will make sure the Whitten family gets it,” Knox said.