Summary

The King County Council on Tuesday joined communities across the United States in recognition of National Police Week. The annual celebration, celebrated this year from May 11-17, honors and remembers those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers they left behind.

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The King County Council on Tuesday joined communities across the United States in recognition of National Police Week. The annual celebration, celebrated this year from May 11-17, honors and remembers those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers they left behind.

“The police officers who protect our community are ordinary people like you and me — husbands, wives, sons, and daughters — who make the extraordinary decision to put their lives on the line every day for the safety of others,” said King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. “Police Week is a time to honor their service, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and mourn with the loved ones they left behind.”

This year, the names of 619 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. These 619 names include 472 officers who died during 2021; 319 officers who died from causes related to COVID-19; and 147 officers who died in previous years, but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now. At the end of 2021, the National Law Enforcement Memorial reported a preliminary 36% increase in officers killed by a gun and a 38% increase in officers killed in traffic-related incidents, such as during stops or being struck by a vehicle, compared to 2020. Total line-of-duty deaths rose 60% in 2021 compared to 2020.

The names of all 619 fallen officers nationwide will be formally dedicated during the 34^th Annual Candlelight Vigil to be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, at 8:00 pm EDT on May 13, 2022.

Seven members of the law enforcement community in Washington State will be added to the National Memorial, including Deputy Sheriff Reginald Bernard Brown, who passed away on September 7, 2020 after 30 years of service with the King County Sheriff’s Office; Alexandra Brenneman Harris of the Seattle Police Department, who passed away on June 13, 2021; Jeremy Robert Brown of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, who passed away on July 23, 2021; Jon David Anderson of the Spokane Police Department, who passed away on July 5, 2019; Gabriel Kyle Forrest of the Washington State Department of Corrections, who passed away on June 17, 2021; David Alan Christensen of the Washington State Department of Corrections, who passed away on December 29, 2020; and Eric Thomas Gunderson of the Washington State Patrol, who passed away on September 26, 2021.

There are approximately 800,000 law enforcement officers currently in the U.S., down from approximately 900,000 officers in 2020. Since the first recorded death in 1791, over 23,000 law enforcement officers—representing cities, counties, states, and federal agencies in the United States—have died in the line of duty.

In 1853, King County Deputy Wesley Cherry was the first King County law officer to lose their life in the line of duty. Since Cherry, 16 King County Sheriff’s officers have fallen in the line of duty. The King County Sheriff’s Office Memorial, located in the King County Courthouse, honors their sacrifice.

“Every time I pass the memorial that rightfully honors our fallen King County deputies, I am reminded of their ultimate and enduring sacrifice,” said Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall.  “It is a privilege to lead the men and women of this agency as they continue a tradition of excellence in service to communities throughout King County.”

Each year, Washington State adds names of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty to the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial in Olympia. In 2022, three names were added to that memorial: Sergeant Jeremy Robert Brown of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, who passed away on July 23, 2021; Officer Alexandra Brenneman Harris of the Seattle Police Department, who passed away on June 13, 2021; and Officer Jaymes Hughes of the Kalispel Tribal Police Department, who passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.