CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The 204 officers that have been killed in the line of duty in West Virginia were honored at a solemn ceremony Friday evening at the State Capitol.
The ceremony included prayers, songs, speeches and the laying of a wreath on the Fallen Partner statue outside the Culture Center. West Virginia Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Joe Thornton, who was the keynote speaker, said the ceremony honored the sacrifices made by slain officers.
“We’re here to honor folks that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in service to others,” Thornton said. “It’s just an honor to be here and pay tribute to that.”
Several families of the officers as well as current police officers attended. U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, who also gave a short speech, gave his reaction to the number of officers that have been killed.
“One is too many. 204 is unconscionable. Just in my five years as the United States Attorney, I’ve attended funerals of state troopers, a Deputy United States Marshall, city police officers, and deputy sheriffs,” Goodwin said.
He said the memories of the funerals made it difficult to forget the officers’ sacrifice. But he pointed out that the best way to honor the fallen is not to forget them.
“What we need to do as citizens, as fellow law enforcement officers, is to remember them each and every day,” he said. “Their service, their sacrifice, and what they put on the line every day.”
President Kennedy designated May 15 as Police Officers Memorial Day in 1962, and the week surrounding it as National Police Week.