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Press Release

U.S. Attorney's Office Joins in Recognizing National Police Week, May 12-18, 2019

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Oregon
FBI Releases 2018 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted

PORTLAND—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officers on the occasion of National Police Week.

The District of Oregon had one line-of-duty death in 2018. On Friday, March 2, 2018, Officer Malcus Williams, a 21-year veteran of the Ashland Police Department, passed away after suffering a major medical event while on the scene of a call. Officer Williams is survived by his wife, Ona, and three daughters, Savannah, Georgia and Brooklyn, and his sisters Cindy and Amy. In a ceremony on May 7, 2019, Officer Williams was added to Oregon’s Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem, Oregon.

“National Police Week offers a time to honor the courage and commitment shown by law enforcement officers here in the District of Oregon and across the nation. One officer death is too many,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “In 2018, we lost Officer Malcus Williams of the Ashland Police Department. As his family and colleagues know well, Officer Williams was a selfless public servant who embodied every noble trait his fellow citizens look for in a police officer. He was courageous, professional, hardworking and steadfastly dedicated to his community.”

According to statistics collected by the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018 – a 14 percent increase from 2017 when 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.

For comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2018 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, released this week.

In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.

During Police Week, which is observed from Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18, 2019, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe.

The names of all 106 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2019.

No tickets are required to attend the vigil and everyone is welcome. For additional information, please call 202-737-3400. The Candlelight Vigil is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital during National Police Week 2019.

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

Updated May 13, 2019

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