MANSFIELD — Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker has established May 15 as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day in honor of the men and women police officers who were killed in the line of duty.
The day is part of National Police Week, which begins May 15 and lasts through May 21.
Mansfield Police Department’s Honor Guard will host a ceremony in the Mansfield Municipal Building on May 16 at 9 a.m. to honor all the local police officers who have died while serving Mansfield and Richland County.
Mansfield Police Department encouraged the public to remember officers Brian D. Evans, Michael R. Hutchison, William J. Taylor, John Engelhart Jr. and Shelby Police officer Walter A. Means on Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. Each local officer was killed on the line of duty.
MPD will wear “mourning badges” during National Police Week to commemorate and honor those “who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in our community,” read a police press release.
Flags outside of all governmental buildings will fly at half staff on May 15.
Former President Bill Clinton signed a bill in 1994 mandating all flags to fly at half staff on May 15 as a tribute to the more than 20,000 law enforcement officials who died on the line of duty.
Police death statistics
According to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 20,662 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty from 1791 to 2015.
In 2015, 124 officers died — a four percent increase from 2014’s 119. And 35 officers have died so far in 2016.
Of the 124 officers who died in 2015, 52 deaths were traffic-related — 35 of those died in crashes, 11 were struck and killed outside their vehicle and six were killed in motorcycle crashes. Traffic-related fatalities increased six percent from 2014 when 49 officers were killed.
Firearm deaths decreased 14 percent in 2015, amounting in 42 deaths compared to 2014’s 49 deaths.
Thirty officers died from other causes in 2015 compared to 21 in 2014. Heart attacks rose from 18 deaths in 2014 to 24 in 2015.
Deaths from felonious incidents decreased 16 percent in 2015, resulting in 52 compared to 61 in 2014. Non-felonious deaths, however, increased 20 percent, with 73 deaths compared to 58 in 2014.
