Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 4840 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2016 2015: We lost too many officers Remembering and honoring the 123 heroes who died last year by Jaclyn Barrientes A s the sun goes down on Friday, May 13, thousands of candles will light the National Mall in Wash- ington, DC, for the 28th An- nual Candlelight Vigil during National Police Week. They will be lit in memory of officers killed in the line of duty, but especially for the 123 who died in 2015, and whose names were added to the National Law Enforce- ment Officers Memorial in late April. Among the names read of the fallen officers will be Of- ficer Liquori T. Tate, who was shot and killed alongside Of- ficer Benjamin J. Deen while on duty for the Hattiesburg (MS) Police Department on May 9. Officers Tate and Deen were making a traffic stop when they were shot by one of the vehicle’s oc- cupants and their patrol car was then stolen by another suspect. Officer Tate was a rookie and had only been with the Hattiesburg PD for 11 months. Deen was a six-year veteran of the department. “The murder of these young men is a devastating reminder that the work our brave police officers perform every day is extremely dan- gerous, profoundly heroic, and deeply deserving of our unequivocal support,” U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. While officers being shot and killed often make na- tional news, they also die in the line of duty due to many other circumstances. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas G. Dees was killed on January 31 when he was struck outside of his patrol car by a passing vehicle while investigating an accident outside of Shawnee. He had served with the High- way Patrol for 18 months. Michigan State Police Trooper Chad H. Wolf was also struck and killed last August. While on his patrol mo- torcycle an hour north of Detroit, Trooper Wolf was hit by a vehicle towing a trailer and dragged several miles before the driver realized Wolf was pinned underneath. He had served the Michigan State Police for seven years. Single-vehicle accidents also make up a large percent- age of officer deaths in the line of duty. Trooper James M. Bava, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was killed on August 28 when his patrol vehicle left the road while chasing a motorcyclist committing traffic violations in Jefferson City. Trooper Bava’s car hit several trees, overturned and caught on fire. He had worked for the Missouri State Police for two years. “It’s always tough when it’s one of your own,” said Kenneth Hoover, fire chief of Little Dixie Fire Protection District. “I’ve been doing this for 42 years, and it still gets me.” Officers also die in the line of duty due to other causes. Scranton (PA) Police Depart- ment Patrolman John James Wilding died in July from head injuries sustained after falling 15 feet while in foot pursuit of three juveniles. He had served with the de- partment for just one year. Among those honored this year at the Vigil will be Diane DiGiacomo, a former special investigator for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Humane Law Enforcement in New York. Investigator DiGia- como died last year after a battle with cancer that re- sulted from exposure to toxic materials while performing search and rescue operations at the World Trade Center following the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Before her death, Investi- gator DiGiacomo fought for passage of the Zadroga Act, which helps families of ailing 9-11 first-responders. “I feel she had a purpose. She had to get the message out before she left her loved ones,” her brother Paul Di- Giacomo said. These officers, and the oth- ers who died in 2015, as well as the 129 who were killed in previous years but are just being recognized now, will be honored at the 28th Annual Candlelight Vigil on May 13. Those unable to attend are encouraged to light a virtual candle and register to watch the Vigil online at www. UnitedByLight.com. Jaclyn Barrientes is the Communications and Digi- tal Media Manager at the National Law Enforcement Of- ficers Memorial Fund. Trooper James M. Bava Missouri Highway Patrol Officer Benjamin J. Deen Hattiesburg (MS) PD Trooper Nicholas G. Dees Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Chad H. Wolf Michigan State Police John James Wilding Scranton (PA) PD Investigator Diane DiGiacomo American Society for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Animals Officer Liquori T. Tate Hattiesburg (MS) PD IN THE LINE OF DUTY