U.S. Attorney’s Office remembers fallen law enforcement officers during National Police Week 2018

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – Members of the public join with law enforcement across the country for National Police Week – May 13 through May 19 – to honor law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.

“One officer death is too many,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.  “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line of duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”

“Those fallen officers honored during National Police Week represent the best of us,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “They gave their lives so our communities can be safe and secure. Our thoughts, prayers and gratitude go out to their families and friends.”

This year, the names of 93 officers killed in the line of duty in 2017 and some prior years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 30^th Annual 2018 Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13. These names include officers who were killed during 2017 and officers who died in previous years who have not been previously added to the Memorial. The fallen officers of 2017 include two members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana:

• Justin Levi Beard, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, who died April 30, 2017; and
• Michael Paul Middlebrook, Lafayette Police Department, who died October 1, 2017.

To assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office offers safety and survival training throughout the year. The courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal law enforcement officers.

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org. So that people across the country can experience this unique and powerful ceremony, the vigil will be livestreamed beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time on May 13. To register for this free online event, visit www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.

To access the FBI’s 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.