Fallen Law Enforcement Officers to be Honored During 29th Annual Candlelight Vigil

On May 13th around 30,000 people will gather for a candlelight vigil in Washington D.C.’s National Mall. The event is held every year to honor our fallen police officers. Names of 394 U.S. law enforcement officers will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as well. The event will take place between 4th and 7th streets in D.C.

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security John Kelly are both expected to speak at the event, kicking off the candle lighting and reading the names of all the fallen officers.

Among the officers included are 143 who died in the line of duty in 2016, 251 officers who had died before 2016 but had not yet been documented yet and 72, officers who had died while performing rescue and recovery efforts. Serving as a reminder of what our officers face every single day, while trying to keep us safe.

After these 394 officers are added to the wall the total number of names on the wall will be 21,183 from all 50 states. The event will be streamed live for the ninth year in a row. Those interested in watching the event can log onto www.Unitedbylight.org.

Craig W. Floyd, President and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund said, “Our annual Candlelight Vigil is a moving tribute to the brave men and women of law enforcement who put the safety and protection of others ahead of their own-especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the process.” He went on to point out that “Attending the ceremony in person or viewing it online is a meaningful way for all Americans to show their appreciation and respect for these heroes.”

For anyone interested in viewing the complete list of names of the fallen officers the website www.LawMemorial.org/2017RollCall has placed the entire list on it. If you are interested in watching online or attending in person, the website www.LawMemorial.org/PoliceWeek has the entire schedule for the event.

If you are unfamiliar with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, it is an organization established in 1984. The Memorial Fund is now attempting to create what will be The National Law Enforcement Museum. They hope to tell the story of American law enforcement through a high-tech, interactive exhibitions. Also, to be included in the museum will be historical artifacts dealing with American policing and in depth educational programming. The Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization and it maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall, which as previously mentioned, contains the names of 21,183 fallen officers. To find out more about the Memorial Wall and the organization visit www.lawmemorial.org.

The event should prove to be a somber but important event that both current or retired law enforcement would enjoy attending. Of course the public is always welcome to attend as well, visiting the nation’s capital is always a very historic experience, and this event will just add to the visit.

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