U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Police Week, Sacrifice and Dedication of Fallen Officers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In observance of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and pays tribute to the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. This year, National Police Week is observed Sunday, May 11, through Saturday, May 17, 2025.

“We honor the dedicated and brave law enforcement officers across the country and here in the Central District of Illinois, said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “Every day, these officers go to work to make our communities safer. Our office is incredibly fortunate to work with these public servants and has seen firsthand the good that they do for those in our own district. Their important work, however, all too often places them in danger, and, tragically, officers across the nation and in our district have lost their lives in the line of duty. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and colleagues.”

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

The Central District of Illinois grieves the officers who served and were killed in the line of duty in 2024 and this year. In this district, Illinois State Police Trooper Corey S. Thompson tragically lost his life in the line of duty in a traffic accident in Champaign County, Illinois, on October 18, 2024.

One hundred and forty-eight federal, state, county, municipal, military, tribal, and campus officers died in the line of duty in 2024, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The names of more than 345 officers killed in the line of duty who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will be read on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the 37^th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. To view a livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2025/candlelight-vigil/. To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org. 

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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.