A bell is rung as part of the End of Watch roll call at the Fallen Officers Memorial wreath laying May 7 at APD headquarters.
The Alexandria Police Department paid tribute to its fallen officers during a wreath laying ceremony May 7 at the Fallen Officers Memorial at APD Headquarters.
The annual ceremony is part of National Police Week, which took place May 11-17.
“The loss of lives in the line of duty is very quick, tragic and unexpected,” said Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire. “When you bury that individual you make a promise to their family. You make a promise that their names will forever be etched in the memory of the community and our department.”
Rev. Dr. Taft Quincey Heatley of Shiloh Baptist Church opened the ceremony followed by the presentation of colors and the singing of the National Anthem by Alexandria City High School senior Grace Legere.
The Fallen Officers Memorial, located at APD Headquarters, honors the 18 Alexandria Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Survivors and family members gathered for the ceremony, including family members of Deputy Inspector James Baber, who was killed Oct. 19, 1962, and Private Eugene Yoakum, who died Sept. 27, 1964. Yoakum was 34 years old when he was killed and Yoakum Parkway is named in his memory.
Also in attendance was Skip Arnold, great grandson of Private Julian Arnold, who brought his own grandsons with him to the ceremony. Julian Arnold was killed in the line of duty May 15, 1887. He was a military veteran who had served 14 years in the APD.
“I am very grateful to the city and the Alexandria Police department for doing this every year,” Arnold said. “My whole family appreciates it.”
The Fallen Officers memorial was dedicated in 2015, donated to the city by the Alexandria Police Foundation who spearheaded the fundraising and building of the project.
“This year we are marking the 10-year anniversary of this memorial,” said APF board chair Charlotte Hall. “We also want to acknowledge the Alexandria Police Suicide Memorial. This memorial is a reminder and a remembrance to those in uniform that there is light amidst darkness.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, who read the official Police Week poem, “A Full Measure of Emotion” by Dan Marcou as part of her remarks, praised the dedication of the city’s officers.
“Every single day the men and women of the APD continue to make sacrifices, whether that is time away from their families or continuing to run into dangerous situations that plague our community,” Gaskins said. “Every time they walk into this building and they look at this memorial, they are reminded of the risks that come with the profession that they chose.”
The ceremony concluded with the solemn bell ringing of the End of Watch roll call as the names of each of the fallen officers was read aloud.
Chief McGuire closed his remarks thanking the families of the fallen officers for their attendance.
“Thank you for allowing us to remember your loved ones and to recognize their names because their names matter.”
For more information on the Fallen Officers Memorial, visit www.alexandriapolicefoundation.org.
Police Chief Tarrick McGuire, center, with family members of fallen officers Deputy Inspector James Baber and Private Eugene Yoakum May 7 at the Fallen Officers Memorial wreath laying.