Peace Officers Memorial Day and the Cannonball Memorial Run
When a law enforcement family member is taken from us, the entire profession mourns. We push though the following days, weeks and months with a heavy heart and often a hypervigilant sense of awareness. In time, the shock fades but the void is never filled.
We think of our fallen brothers and sisters randomly throughout our day. Perhaps a circumstance, a location or a joke. In those moments, the memory of our fallen partner is vivid in our hearts and in our minds.
Brief reflections may come and go but each year we designate two days to memorialize those we lost:
1. The anniversary of the day they were taken from us.
2. Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15.
Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day. For me, I find this day exceptionally difficult. Yes, I have wonderful memories of my fallen partners, but I am reminded we have lost too many, far too many.
At SEBA, we remember Jeremiah MacKay, Danny Lobo, Greg Gariepy, Ron Ives, Russell Roberts, Keith Farley, Donald DeMeulle, Clifford Sanchez, Frank Pribble, Alfred Stewart, Billy Heckle, William Litz, Harry Thompson, Michael Lewis, James West and William Smithson.
Each of these fallen officers/deputies had families and friends. Each of them chose to serve their communities and took pride in their job. Today, I remember these law enforcement officers and the sacrifices they made to keep our families and our community safe.
Today, I remember the 125 other law enforcement officers across this nation who lost their lives in the line of duty since January of this year. I remember the 362 law enforcement officers we lost last year. I remember the 150 law enforcement officers we lost in 2019. Today, I remember the 24,883 known American police officers killed in the line of duty since statistics have been kept.
Sadly, the numbers keep increasing. This week has been very trying for our California law enforcement family. Officer Jimmy Inn of Stockton Police Department and Detective Luca Benedetti of San Luis Obispo Police Department were both murdered in violent ambushes perpetrated by cowardly criminals. This madness must end!
As we reflect this May the 15th, let us not forget the families and loved ones of the fallen. We celebrate the lives and memories of those who were taken from us and send prayers to help ease the pain and grief of the family, friends and partners left behind.
Finally, I would like to address the film in this post—the Cannonball Memorial Run. A couple years ago, I travelled across the country with the Cannonball Memorial Run for the second time to honor and remember our fallen brothers and sisters who had been killed in the line of duty. During my second trip, we produced a documentary which was released last year. Until now, the documentary has only been available on Amazon Prime Video. Today, we would like to share this story in honor of every police officer killed in the line of duty, and the family, friends and partners left behind.
We will never forget.
Grant Ward
Sheriff's Sergeant and SEBA President