Made In Walker

A Legacy of Kindness: Remembering Officer Trevor Slot Through Community, Family, and Service

• City of Walker MI • Season 1 • Episode 21

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Some names turn into anchors for a whole community. Trevor Slot is one of those names. We open the door to his life through vivid memories, honest grief, and the living legacy he left inside the Walker Police Department and within the hearts of his daughters. What you’ll hear isn’t a eulogy—it’s a map for how kindness, humor, and everyday presence can shape an entire city.

Captain Brandyn Heugel and Sergeant Robin Malley paint a grounded portrait of the man behind the badge: an officer who insisted on first names, who knew business owners and neighbors, and who believed in second chances even for the “frequent flyers.” A single story says it all—a resident once written off offers key information that cracks a serious case; years later, he flags down a cruiser to say Trevor never treated him like a criminal, only as a human being. That’s community policing done right: trust built one conversation at a time, where empathy is both principled and practical.

Katelyn joins us to share snapshots of “dad”—loud music, goofy jokes, and the two-drive-thru ritual that made kids feel seen. She talks about growing up with a department that kept showing up: graduations, milestones, and quiet check-ins that stitched a safety net beneath her and her sister. We also reflect on grief that arrives in waves and the perspective Kim, Trevor’s late wife, offered so powerfully: you can’t change what happened, but you can live fully in the moments you’re given. Inside the department, Trevor’s presence remains tangible—memorials in the hallway, a slogan on a patrol car, letters from across the country carefully preserved, and a field training module ensuring new officers learn not just policies but values.

If you care about public safety, civic trust, and what true service looks like, this story will stay with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who believes relationships still matter, and leave a review to help others find conversations that keep legacies alive.

If you have comments about this podcast, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at PODCAST@WALKER.CITY

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to Maiden Walker, a podcast that connects you to the people, the stories, and the ideas shaping our community. From local innovators to everyday change makers, we're diving deep into what makes Walker a great place to live, work, and grow. Here's your host, Nicole DiDonato.

SPEAKER_03:

October 2025 marks 14 years since the Walker Police Department and the community as a whole lost Officer Trevor Slott in the line of duty. And since then, there's been a lot of new faces at the Walker Police Department. The Captain Brandon Hugel and Sergeant Robin Malley make sure to carry on Trevor's legacy. Thank you both so much for being here. You're welcome. And for those of us who did not have the pleasure of knowing Trevor, what can you tell us about your friend, the man behind the badge? Oh, goodness.

SPEAKER_04:

There's so many stories we could tell about Trevor. Um, as it relates to work, it was never a dull a dull moment when he was working. We had so much fun. And this job sometimes isn't fun. It can be hard, it can be emotional. But when we were doing it together, we could always debrief afterwards, we could always relax watching one of our favorite shows on our break. And we were never short on laughs, that's for sure. Yeah.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

You said this uh obviously this career can be very heavy. What was his approach to policing? What were some of the you know the qualities that he possessed?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, be on a first name basis with people. Yeah. Um you know, he just um I think coming from Lowell and St. Joe before then, um he wasn't used to going call to call. So he had that time to connect with everybody in the community, whether it was a neighborhood or business owners. And so people knew him as Trevor. You rarely heard Officer Slot. And and then he knew their names. So it was uh yeah, it was pretty interesting. He he slid right into Walker and you thought he worked there a decade. Sure.

SPEAKER_03:

So yes, and you were mentioning uh obviously you've been at the department and he uh joined you guys. What was his first few, you know, days, weeks, months like getting used to a place like Walker?

SPEAKER_04:

It was almost seamless because back when he came to our department, we actually dispatched in the evening for Lowell. Okay. And Sergeant Bailey and I were both wonderful dispatchers in the day when we were part-time. So we already knew his voice, we knew his number, we knew a little bit about his personality, we had talked to him on the phone, he had interacted with so many of our officers who worked dispatch. So it was actually pretty seamless. And I was here several years before he started, and I don't remember a time when he wasn't there. Wow. So it just fit in so well. It didn't seem like a transition. He fit in well. Trevor had this amazing ability. Everybody thought they were his best friend. Yeah, you'll hear many people talk about that. It's because he just made you feel special. He had those personal connections with not only the officers, but like Sergeant Maley said, with the community. Everyone just felt close to him instantly.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. And that his daughters were born while he was uh at the Walker Police Department. And you were kind of bringing up uh some stories of during that time when he was off uh during the birth of his daughters. What was that like?

SPEAKER_04:

Yes, um, he was off for the birth of his first daughter, and um you go into a gas station and one of them has a gift for the baby. So you know that they not only spoke in passing if he was in there to get something to drink or a snack to eat, but he actually opened up about his personal life with people that he connected with.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

And even nowadays, that is so important with policing, just you know, being able to relate the relationships. It's really all about that, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. I mean, there are you know, a percentage of people that we deal with on a regular basis. There are other residents that we may just wave at, you know, through our career. Um so you have some frequent flyers, whatever case that may be, of why you deal with them. Um but I do remember a particular frequent flyer. Um he was never, you know, assaulting people or or taking advantage, but he was a troublemaker. And I recall being on vacation, coming back, and Trevor saying, Hey, um, next time you deal with so-and-so, give him a break. Because he gave me some good information that solved a pretty serious case. And it didn't take too long before I had dealt with him again. And and I said, Hey Trevor said you gave him a solid, so I'm gonna, you know, give a solid back. And uh, you know, you fast forward five, six years later after he was killed, um, that particular person weighed me down when I was driving by and I pulled up and he said, Um, hey, I just wanna let you guys know that I'm sorry for your loss and that Trevor never treated me like a common criminal.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh he treated me like a human being. So you know, that's that's one case out of many. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So that is so powerful to hear. And yeah, um, I know it's tough to talk about how how did his passing affect you all? It's unimaginable.

SPEAKER_00:

Can't you know still dealing with it?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

You know, grief doesn't stop, it changes, it comes in waves. Um, but back then, that day, it hit you like a ton of bricks, and everything in the world just slowed down, but went so fast at the same time. It was very um surreal, honestly, even to look back at it. Um here we are, what would you just say, 14 years later? I I can't believe it's been 14 years, but then again, it seems like a lifetime. Yeah. Um, and like it hits you in waves. October is a horrible month for me.

SPEAKER_03:

Are there still parts of him that yeah, we can't don't. I'm not gonna look at each other. No, no, we won't make it.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I've never been shy about hiding my emotions, but um with the grief and the sadness, there's been so much joy since. Yeah, and I had the wonderful opportunity of being friends with Kim. And the moments I had with her, she taught me so much. I can't I can't even tell you how amazing she was.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and that was Trevor's wife.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes, and she just had this perspective. One night we were going to a concert together, and it was a last-minute thing. Literally, I called her an hour before the concert, and she went. And we're sitting in my car on the parking ramp, and she said, you know what? We wouldn't be here right now if Trevor hadn't have been killed. So I take these moments that I never would have had, and I just live them to the fullest because I can't change what happened, but I can change what I do now. Yeah, and I can enjoy these experiences. And honestly, we had a blast. And anytime things got tough for me, all I had to do was think of her. Because if it was tough for me, I can't even imagine what it was like for her. And her perspective and her her helping me heal, yeah, that was something I could never thank her for.

SPEAKER_03:

And that's why you want her so passionate, especially with these newer officers that come in year after year of keeping your friend's legacy alive. And how were you able to do that all this time? What are some of the specific things you've done to make sure that that that happens?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I mean, I I think so many of us are storytellers and we have a lot of stories because of what we experience. So um and he created a lot of stories. So even 14 years later, I still talk about them often. And um, you know, we're fortunate to have a memorial that we set up. Um, we have a little slogan on one of our cars that is a reminder. Um and you know, we did compile. Um came to realize all the correspondence back when that occurred, you know, they were just sitting in totes back off in a closet. And we we thought about why don't we put that together? Um, you know, in not any particular order. Uh, but the nice letterhead that was sent from around the country, whether it was a government agency, a local police department, state police, um, you know, fire departments, just whatever. And just to put it together mainly for the family, but also for the department and yet for posterity. We have what 75% of the people that we work with now never worked with Trevor. Right. I mean, we're we're changing every police department's changing, you know, over. But uh, yeah, it's pretty wild. Yeah, but 14 years goes pretty quick.

SPEAKER_04:

It does. And there's a lot of change. And our officers, when they walk into briefing, they walk past a photo of him and a wooden sign that says, In Balor, there is hope that was made by one of our retirees. Um, so everybody really came together to put something in the department that just shows a little bit about him and is a constant reminder. Part of our field training program is um going through that history and um what happened. So every new person in our department knows a little bit about him, and I don't think that there's many weeks that go by where his name doesn't just come up, whether we're telling a story or we're remembering or we're planning to go to a graduation ceremony for one of his daughters. You know, there's always something, he's still very much a part of our organization.

SPEAKER_03:

Trevor's daughters, Caitlin and Abby, were just six and eight years old at the time he passed away, but they have since gone on to be beautiful young women graduating from the same school their father did and their mother had taught as well. And we're honored to have Caitlin here joining us as well. Thank you so much. Yeah. We've heard a lot about the man behind the badge. What can you tell us just about dad?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Um, I mean, I was so young. There's not much I remember, but he was I just always remember like having so much fun with him. Like he was just funny and loud, and we would just listen to music with him. He would tell jokes, he would play Barbies with me, Hollypockets. Um, and like my favorite memory with him is I really liked McDonald's, but my sister really liked Wendy's. So anytime we would get fast food, we would go to both places. And he was happy to get McDonald's. Of course. Yes, he was.

SPEAKER_03:

And just growing up um with the police department support by your side, how has that been? You know, developing deeper relationships with Brandon and the crew.

SPEAKER_02:

It's been like so amazing just to have that support. Um just phenomenal. Like, I don't know where I would be without it. And yeah, Brandon and Robin, they're amazing, and I'm very thankful. Yeah for them.

SPEAKER_03:

Going through some of the you know, the milestones, just having those that extra presence with you. How does that make you feel?

SPEAKER_02:

It amazing. Like it just makes me feel so loved and seen, and I like wouldn't want to go through any of that without them.

SPEAKER_04:

One of my favorite moments was um Caitlin didn't necessarily know we were coming to her graduation, and there was a group of us. So um, her class was all gathered in a gym below the auditorium where the graduation was happening. So I snuck down there and talked to the first person in line. I'm like, I need Caitlin slot. So word got back to her and she started coming up towards me. And I I the genuine surprise on her face, like, we weren't gonna be there. But um, and she just gave me the biggest hug. And I'm like, of course we're here.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, there's a lifelong like bond that you guys now have.

SPEAKER_04:

So absolutely. I heard all the stories about Caitlin when she was a baby and about Abby when she was a baby and little, and I heard the polypockets, and I I knew he was an active dad. They always went to cottage and out on the lake and swimming and all of that. Um that was Trevor's life. Yeah. And so I heard so much about it that it was really easy just to pick up and you already had love for these girls, and then it just came became that much stronger.

unknown:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Just knowing what they had lost. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. And you've moving on to the to an exciting new step, recently being engaged, and and how do you kind of like take the spirits of your mother and father along with you? And what will that look like going forward?

SPEAKER_02:

It's hard, like not having them there. Um, but it's like a good reminder through like the police department and like just all the support we have, like having them there and like sharing this moment with them and like doing little things like for that day to honor them. And yeah, special. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

We really appreciate you sharing such wonderful memories of your father. We know we've heard it throughout the years, but it's wonderful to see you grown up and you resembling Brandon so much, like her mom and dad, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

She looked like her dad so much when she was young, yeah, more like her mom. And every time I see Abby, I see Trevor. Gosh, and if she has a book in her hand, I really I really have to just shake my head because yeah, it they didn't have that many years with him. Um, but dang, do they carry on his legacy?

SPEAKER_03:

It's it's pretty cool to see. They certainly do. Yeah. Your father made such an impact beyond West Michigan, and everyone is behind with you supporting you.

SPEAKER_04:

She had an amazing family that really stepped in and kept it real with her. Yeah. And and she kept it real with them too. Yeah. There were times when she would still be fighting with grandma and grandpa who were raising her, and she'd say, I'm gonna call Brandon. So she would think that Brandon was gonna get her out of trouble with grandma or something. And I'm like, Yeah, you call me, and we'll talk. But I I just loved that she was still a little high-spirited young girl. Yeah, that that's what she was supposed to be. It didn't, it didn't change how she was supposed to be. She was still sassy, and I love it.

SPEAKER_03:

Um kind of get a bonus daughter now, a couple bonus daughters to watch throughout the rest of their we all just think of them as family.

SPEAKER_04:

And like I said, they know she can text me anytime if she needs something, and I'll be there. You know, she has a wonderful family support system. Yeah, so she doesn't really need me, but she knows I'm there if she does need something.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, it's been such an honor getting to know you, Caitlin, and hearing more of Trevor's stories and how his legacy will live on for all of us. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Maiden Walker Podcast. If you have comments or questions about this podcast, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. Please drop us an email at podcast at walker.city. Maiden Walker is the official podcast of the city of Walker, Michigan. You can find Maiden Walker wherever you get your podcasts.

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Nicole DiDonato

Host