President Joe Biden issued a proclamation recognizing Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Officer Week on Friday. On Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office issued the order for all state and U.S. flags at state facilities to be flown at half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Wednesday.
National Peace Officers Memorial Day occurs each year on May 15. The day serves to recognize the law enforcement officers who lost their lives or were injured in the line of duty.
“Today, we honor the memories and sacrifices of brave law enforcement officers in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who risk their own safety to protect our communities.”
Biden, in his proclamation, said, “Every day, police officers pin on their shields and walk out the door, rushing into harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe. Being a police officer is more than what they do — it is who they are. On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, we recognize the incredible courage of our Nation’s police officers and honor the fallen heroes, whose ultimate sacrifice we can never repay.”
The day notably comes just a few weeks after four officers were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte on April 29 . The four officers were members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force as the force attempted to serve a warrant at a suburban home. The suspect was reportedly a felon who illegally possessed a weapon.
The officers killed were Samuel “Sam” Poloche and William “Alden” Elliott, both 14-year veterans of the NC Department of Adult Correction who served in the Special Operations and Intelligence Unit; Officer Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; and Thomas M. Weeks, a 13-year veteran deputy U.S. Marshal.
Samuel “Sam” Poloche William “Alden” Elliott Joshua Eyer Thomas Weeks Photos show three of the officers killed in the line of duty on April 29 in a Charlotte shootout.
The state invites all North Carolinians to join in lowering flags in honor of the law enforcement officers who have lost their lives or were injured in the line of duty.
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