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Fallen officers honored at memorial service in Washington

  • National Police Week honors officers who have fallen in the line of duty
  • Flags across America are being flown at half-staff
  • So far this year, 58 officers have died while serving their communities

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 14: Flags are seen in the ground on the lawn of the Capitol complex before Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) leads a candlelight vigil in honor of Police Week in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol on May 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. Earlier in the day, Speaker Johnson attended the trial of Former President Donald Trump, who has promised to pardon the insurrectionists who brutally assaulted about 140 Capitol Police officers on January 6, 2021 should he be re-elected. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — In honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day, flags across America are being flown at half-staff Wednesday.

In Washington, D.C., the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary held the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on the West Front of the United States Capitol.

Remembering those who have fallen

The service was held in remembrance and honor of the men and women killed in the line of duty. Family members of the fallen officers and fellow law enforcement members were present.

For 43 years, the memorial service has honored the men and women who have fallen while serving in the line of duty. Honor guard teams took 15-minute shifts over twelve hours, standing watch over the memorial wreaths that were laid for the fallen officers.

As part of his proclamation on Peace Officers Memorial Day, President Joe Biden wrote, “Every day, police officers pin on their shields and walk out the door, rushing into harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe.  Being a police officer is more than what they do — it is who they are.”

National Police Week

This year, Peace Officers Memorial Day falls during National Police Week — a time when Americans can honor, remember and support the nation’s law enforcement officers. The week allows current officers, survivors and citizens to gather at the nation’s capital to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will host events all week long in remembrance of the fallen officers.

Data displayed on the Officer Down Memorial Page drives home the dangers facing officers.

So far this year, 58 officers have died while serving their communities. Twenty-five of those deaths happened just last month.

Plus, 21 police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty, including 23-year-old Euclid Police Department Police Officer Jacob Derbin who was killed Saturday after he was ambushed by a suspect while responding to a disturbance call.

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