Mansfield to honor those who risk their lives to keep the community safe

Mansfield will observe National Police Week May 12-18 and Peace Officer’s Memorial Day on May 15.

The Mansfield Police Department is asking residents to take advantage of this opportunity to honor the men and women who serve Mansfield as police officers and remember the families of the officers killed in the line of duty: Brian D. Evans (Dec. 26, 2007); Michael R. Hutchison (Feb. 6, 1976); William J. Taylor (Feb. 26, 1949); and John Englehart Jr. (Aug. 7, 1893).

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, 136 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2023, a 39% decrease from the previous year. Forty-seven officers were shot and killed in the line of duty, down 25%. Another 37 officers died due to traffic-related crashes in 2023 while 52 officers died of other causes, such as falling objects, fire-related incidents and medical-related illness/events including COVID-19, heart attacks, and strokes while in the performance of their official duties.

Mayor Jodie A. Perry has proclaimed May 12–18 as Police Week and May 15 as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day in the City of Mansfield. In memory of those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our community,Mansfield officers will wear “mourning badges” during National Police Week.

At 8 a.m. Monday, the Mansfield Police Honor Guard will honor all fallen officers from Richland County in a ceremony held at the Mansfield Police Memorial on the south side of the Square. At 9 a.m., the Honor Guard will participate in a second ceremony honoring the fallen officers from the Mansfield Police Department. This will take place on the second floor of the Mansfield Municipal Building and conclude with a reading of the Police Week Proclamation. Everyone is invited to attend both memorial services.

As a reminder, flags on all federal buildings will fly at half-staff on May 15, commemorating Police Officers Memorial Day. In 1994, President Clinton signed a law requiring the American flag to be lowered on this day as a tribute to the more than 24,280 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. This is a rarest of honors. The only other regularly scheduled day that the flags fly at half-staff is Memorial Day. Like those in our armed services,our fallen law enforcement officers died while protecting the lives and freedoms of others.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield to honor those who risk their lives to keep the community safe