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Names being added to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

(NewsNation) — There are more than 23,000 names on the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Monday, organizers will begin the process of adding nearly 300 more.

The names of 118 officers killed in the line of duty last year will be added to the memorial, along with others that date back more than 200 years.


Among the fallen: Officer Christopher Fitzgerald from the Temple University Department of Public Safety in Philadelphia, who was shot and killed while chasing suspects believed to be tied to a string of robberies.

K-9 Officer James Muhlbauer, a 20-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department, died in a car crash while on duty.

Peleg Palmer, an officer with the now-defunct U.S. Customs Service, was inspecting a ship in Connecticut in 1811 and died from exposure when his boat was blown out to sea during a snowstorm.

Two officers of the Savannah, Georgia, Police Department who were shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect in 1866 will also be honored.

Also going on the wall are the names of several New York City police officers who’ve died from medical issues related to 9/11.

The process of adding names is to prepare for the May 13 ceremony honoring them. The newly engraved names will be read aloud and formally dedicated.

And already it’s known there will be a similar ceremony next year. The Fraternal Order of Police says at least 10 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in 2024.