Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman Recognizes the Courage and Sacrifice of Washington Law Enforcement Officers as Part of National Police Week | USAO-WDWA

Seattle In honor of National Police Week, Acting United States Attorney Tessa M. Gorman recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed from Sunday May 9 to Saturday May 15, 2021.

This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation, said Attorney General Garland. I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which law enforcement personnel act every day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of the police and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and your sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and undying gratitude.

This year, Washington state added eight names to the law enforcement memorial wall in Washington, DC, acting U.S. attorney Tessa M. Gorman said. In such a difficult time for all of us, our law enforcement officers are at the forefront of the risk of contracting COVID-19, in addition to other risks inherent in law enforcement. We hold these fallen officers as we thank their colleagues who continue to protect and serve every day.

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and National Police Week proclamation to commemorate and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifice. Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, which falls on May 15 each year, honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Each year during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement agencies across the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the courage and unwavering dedication of law enforcement officials to the communities they have sworn to serve.

During the Heroes’ Call, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of the Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60% succumbed to COVID-19.

Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Killed and Assaulted Law Enforcement Officer (LEOKA) program, 46 law enforcement officers have died as a result of ‘crimes and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on the FBI Crime Data Explorer website.

The Washington State law enforcement officers whose names will be added to the wall are:

Kurtis James Enget, Bainbridge Island Police Department

Jonathan Paul Shoop, Bothell Police Department

Jon Michael Melvin, Grant County Sheriff’s Office

Berisford Anthony Morse, Washington State Department of Corrections

Justin Robert Schaffer, Washington State Patrol

S. Renee Padgett, Washington State Patrol

Daniel Glenn Oaks, Yakima County Corrections Department

Charlie Joe Cortez, Tulalip Police Department

the names of the 394 fallen officers that were added in 2020 to the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual candlelight vigil, which will be televised live to the public at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. A candlelight in-person event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.

Those wishing to see the virtual candlelight vigil on May 13, 2021 can watch it on the NLEOMF YouTube channel available at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The heroes’ roll call on FOP can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the calendar of Police Week virtual events in May, please visit the NLEOMF Police week flyer.

To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.