Woodbridge, Va. –– Fallen police officers will be remembered tonight in Woodbridge.
Prince William police will hold its annual memorial tribute to officers who have paid the ultimate price to serve and protect their communities.
Every 53 hours in the U.S. a police officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the U.S., on average, and that prompted President John F. Kennedy to declare National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day, observed annually as National Police Week.
This year, police will mark the remembrance between May 15 and 21.
“In 2010, 162 American law enforcement officers died striving to keep their communities safe. Sixty-one of these officers were gunned down by their assailant. While Prince William County was fortunate to not lose any police officers during 2010, 89 felonious assaults on officers were recorded. Each day of an officer’s career the inherent dangers of policing are acknowledged. Despite these risks, officers continue in their commitment to protect and serve,” said Prince William Police Chief Charlie T. Deane.
Prince William police will hold their annual ceremony tonight at 7 p.m. at the Ferlazzo Building on Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1) in Woodbridge. It’s open to the public.
Prince William County has released a list of the 14 men in law enforcement who have lived or worked in the county since 1970 who have died in the line of duty.
• Trooper Jackie M. Bussard, Virginia State Police – May 1970
• Officer Paul T. White Jr., Prince William County Police – Oct. 1973
• Investigator Claude Everett Seymour, Virginia State Police – April 1975
• Trooper Johnny R. Bowman, Virginia State Police – Aug. 1984
• Sergeant John D. Conner III, Manassas City Police – July 1988
• Officer Phillip M. Pennington, Prince William County Police – Nov. 1990
• Trooper Jose M. Cavazos, Virginia State Police – Feb. 1993
• Special Agent William H. Christian Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation – May
1995
• Detective John M. Gibson, United States Capitol Police – July 1998
• Officer Marlon E. Morales, Metro Transit Police – June 2001
• Second Lt. Francis Joseph Stecco, Fairfax County Police – Oct. 2008
• Special Agent Chad L. Michael, Drug Enforcement Administration – Oct.
2009
• Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon, Drug Enforcement Administration – Oct.
2009
• Officer Paul Michael Dittamo, Metropolitan Police – Oct. 2010
