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Nate Eye, a firefighter with the Weber Fire District, stands next to the wooden plaque he made for Officer Doug Barney's family at his viewing service on Sunday, Jan. 24 in West Valley City.

Photo supplied/Nate Eye

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Nate Eye, a firefighter with the Weber Fire District, hand carved and burned a wood plaque replica of fallen Unified Police officer Doug Barney's badge and donated it to his family.

Photo supplied/Nate Eye

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The design of fallen Unified Police officer Doug Barney's badge was hand carved and burned into a wooden plaque by Weber Fire District firefighter Nate Eye.

Photo supplied/Nate Eye

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The design of fallen Unified Police officer Doug Barney's badge was hand carved and burned into a wooden plaque by Weber Fire District firefighter Nate Eye.

Photo supplied/Nate Eye

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OGDEN — Nate Eye, a firefighter with the Weber Fire District, has had the opportunity to make wood plaque replicas of law enforcement badges from across the country. But the one he made to honor fallen Unified Police officer Doug Barney was one of the most significant to date. 

• RELATED: Slain Utah officer Doug Barney recalled as loving, larger-than-life man

Eye normally builds guitars, he said, but started making the plaques a year ago when a Weber Fire District officer pulled him aside one day and asked if he could build a plaque with his badge on it. 

“I’ve done hundreds of them and they all turn out different and unique,” Eye said. “It seems like the police and fire badges are most popular.”

Eye hand-carves and then burns the design into the wood, creating what he calls a “burnt, rustic look.”

After Barney was shot and killed in the line of duty by a parole violator on Jan. 17, Eye was contacted by the Weber Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Wives of Utah to make a plaque honoring the veteran officer.

He agreed and donated it to Barney’s family.

“You wouldn’t charge for that, you just wouldn’t,” Eye said. 

Creating the replica of Barney’s Unified Police badge was a great experience, Eye said. 

“While I was cutting it, normally I listen to rock music jam and stuff … with this one it was really interesting because I found myself carving a certain section and there was a certain reverence to it,” he said. “It was kind of overwhelming at times.”

Eye presented the plaque to Barney’s wife on Sunday, Jan. 24, at his viewing service. 

“It was tough,” Eye said. “It was extremely tough, me and my wife went down and to be honest it took everything for me not to burst down crying talking to her.” 

Eye told Barney’s wife that he knew the plaque wouldn’t bring her husband back, but that it might offer her some comfort in her home for the years to come. 

The plaque was displayed in the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Jan. 25 during Barney’s funeral.

Ten thousand people were expected to attend Barney’s funeral, according to the Associated Press. 

When Eye turned on the TV Monday to watch the funeral, he felt honored to see his plaque displayed to the right of Barney’s casket, he said in a Facebook message to the Standard-Examiner. 

“What an honor,” he said. “I really hope the family loves it. Fire, military and police are all family to me. And his death absolutely breaks my heart.”

And Eye was hardly the only law enforcement officer to honor Barney on Monday. Public safety personnel from around the state flocked to show their respect for the fallen officer Monday.

Hundreds of police vehicles joined the funeral procession, including four motorcycle patrol officers from Weber County Sheriff’s Office, said Sheriff’s Lt. Lane Findlay. The procession went from the Maverik Center in West Valley City to Barney’s burial site in Orem.

Sgt. DeeAnn Servey of the Davis County Sheriff’s Office said several Davis officers also participated in the ceremonies. “It was a wonderful service,” said Servey, who also attended.

The Davis County Sheriff’s Office also hosted members from New York Police Department’s 113th Precinct in Queens, who traveled to Utah to show honor Barney and joined the funeral procession.

Local citizens also showed their support during the procession and throughout the day. In Kaysville, a large American Flag was hoisted over Main Street by two cranes as local police vehicles traveled underneath. Dozens of students from Layton’s Crestview Elementary waved flags and held signs along the procession route.

Beautiful service today for our fallen @UPDSL brother Officer Barney. #restinpeace TY to@NYPD113Pct for ur support pic.twitter.com/EAfNUJta7j

— Davis County SO (@DavisCountySO) January 25, 2016

Getting ready to roll out to honor our fallen brother Barney. What an honor this is for us. pic.twitter.com/LgV2Xc487b

— UHP Colonel (@UHP_Colonel) January 25, 2016

A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported the Barney family and our officers today. #OfficerBarney pic.twitter.com/fSoZdvfyX1

— Unified Police Dept (@UPDSL) January 25, 2016