Brown County law enforcement officers gathered to honor fallen comrades from across the state of Texas during a memorial service that was held on Friday, May 20, 2011 in conjunction with National Police Week May15-21, 2011.
The week was initially proclaimed Police Week in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy which designates May 15th as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.
Friday’s service was held at the Law Enforcement Center in Brownwood, Texas and included flag and wreath ceremonies along with the reading of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice during service to their communities.
Officers who gathered for the solemn occasion were reminded of the dangers involved in law enforcement as the public was made aware of those who had perished in the line of duty.
“A lot of stuff happens and just officers being aware, to be able to stop something that has potential before it starts is important,” stated Early Chief of Police David Mercer.
“Something can happen anywhere, anytime, not just in the big cities,” stated Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs.
Mercer read a Poem entitled “A Part of America Died” which speaks of the death of a policeman and how the family suffers while a suspect is entitled to his rights.
Flags were dropped to half mass, badges had a stripe of black across them, and taps was played as the crowd honored those who answer the call to become a law enforcement officer, making the ultimate sacrifice.
Bangs Police Chief Butch Lawson read off the names of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in Texas for 2010.
The last officer of Brownwood Police Department lost in the line of duty was 37-year-old Jack Fuston who was fatally shot in the line of duty in February, 1939.
According to Chief David Mercer, Early Police Department has never lost an officer to his knowledge.
Brown County Sheriff’s Office lost Charlie Webb when he was shot by the notorious John Wesley Hardin who was an outlaw wanted for murder, robbery, and cattle rustling. Webb encountered the suspect outside of a local saloon and was killed in a gunfight in May, 1874.
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, “On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.” Their statistics also show that to date, nationally, there have been 72 officers killed in 2011.
Pictured above: Officers salute while Taps is played.
Below are pictures and a video of the ceremony.
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Early Police Chief David Mercer Reading “A Part of America Died”.
Memorial wreath placed in honor of fallen officers
Brownwood Police Chief Mike Corley in front of framed memorial to Jack Fuston, an officer that was fatally wounded in 1939 while on duty with BPD.
