May 2, 2021 Texas Peace Officers' Memorial & Candlelight Vigil
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Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial & Candlelight Vigil HH NN OO EE N LL O LL R AA IN ’ FF G TEXXAASS’ MAY 2, 2021 2 Table of Contents Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial & Candlelight Vigil 4 Thin Blue Line Poem 5 Roll Call of Officers | 2019 - 2020 6–8 Roll Call of Officers - COVID | 2020 9–10 Special Thanks 9 Officers’ Names Chronologically by Department 14 Panel Locator Map 88 3 Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial & Candlelight Vigil - Sunday, May 2, 2021 Memorial Procession Keynote Address Honor Guards & Law Enforcement Units The Honorable Greg Abbott, Sgt. Tim Kresta, Austin Police Department Governor of Texas Call to Order Roll Call of Officers Senior Police Officer Ricky Hollis, The Honorable James White, Austin Police Department Chairman, House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety National Anthem Sgt. Ray Polk, Presentation of Medals & Resolutions Arlington Police Department Riderless Horse Invocation Lubbock Police Department Chaplain Vince Johnson Houston Police Department Twenty-One Gun Salute Introduction of Emcee Various Texas Law Enforcement Agencies Senior Police Officer Ricky Hollis, Austin Police Department Taps McAllen Police Department Honor Guard Welcome Remarks Austin Police Department Honor Guard Troy Kimmel, KOKE FM Flyover Austin Police Department Lighting of the Ceremonial Candle Kaden Senter, Benediction Son of Nassau Bay Sgt. Kaila Marie Sullivan Chaplain Greg Long, Laying of the Wreath Elgin Police Department McAllen Police Department Honor Guard Song Song Granger Smith Granger Smith Thin Blue Line Guest Speakers “Amazing Grace” Lt. Marvin Ryals, CLEAT President Bagpipers, Combined Pipe & Drum Corps Lt. Thomas Brown, Movement of Wreath to Memorial Site TMPA President McAllen Police Department Honor Guard Valerie Zamarripa, Mother of Fallen Dallas Police Officer Retire the Colors Patrick Zamarripa | EOW: July 7, 2016 The Honorable Dan Patrick, Dismissal Lt. Governor 4 Thin Blue Line Poem Tonight, we have completed the journey here stand between us & chaos. out of love and respect for officers, We raise candlelight in their memory. Like who have given the last full measure of these candles—though they are shrouded in devotion. darkness—their light still shines, & the darkness shall not overcome it. They come from near & distant corners of this nation, from every race & every creed. But, For the line they walk rises with might from the they were unified in bravery, in valor, & love of depths of old our great State. The line they walk is narrow & the cost is high Many of you knew them personally. To you, they The line they walk can be dark & often cold, were husbands, wives, children, siblings, friends, But it is rich with the valor of the strong & the fellow officers, brothers, & sisters in blue. bold Now, you are being called upon to bear The line they walk is treacherous protected by a special burden. only the company they keep Tonight we join together to honor their courage The line they walk can not be breached & & express our gratitude for their— one no one can diminish & your—sacrifice. Among us, sent from heaven, are those who walk These officers loved you & were deeply committed a Thin Blue Line to the communities, they served to the very end. Like guardians sent to watch over The scripture says that love is stronger than those they serve death, & that there can be no greater love than to sacrifice oneself for the sake of others. The line they walk is one of service, hope & sacrifice The men & women we remember tonight did no less. Protecting the lawful from the lawless They laid down their lives for their communities. The line they walk is made of those who choose to follow a calling many will never know & By being here tonight, we ensure the names of still, more do not comprehend these officers are known—just as they deserve— both in their communities & across this nation. The line they walk will guard their families with a steady sword, for we know that they wish for Tonight, we join together, as we show our nothing more than to live again, appreciation for their heroism & we understand if only to hold them once more that our public safety, our freedom, & our prosperity is bought at a very steep price. Within this line, if one among should fall doing what it is they hold most dear...We will know We know that the American people are only that the badge they wear has become so much safe because our law enforcement officers face more than wings. danger. For they will forever be We can only rest easy because they never rest. & America’s Thin Blue Line. we can only dwell in peace because they 5 Roll Call of Officers Who Have Died in the Line of Duty | January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2020 Cadet Christoper David Murray Frisco Police Department, December 1, 2016 | 20,C,1 Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Norman D. Merkel US Department of Justice, January 16, 2019 | 20,C,2 Deputy Sheriff Ray E. Horn, III Comal County Sheriff’s Office, January 17, 2019 | 20,C,3 Community Supervision Officer Russell Dean “Rusty” Salazar Kendall County Adult Probation Office, January 31, 2019 | 20,C,4 Border Patrol Agent Donna Marie Doss US DHS Customs and Border Protection, February 2, 2019 | 20,C,5 Officer Nathan Hayden Heidelberg Midland Police Department, March 5, 2019 | 20,C,6 Deputy Sheriff Peter John Herrera El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, March 24, 2019 | 34,B,1 Officer Albert “AJ” Castaneda, Jr. Grand Prairie Police Department, June 7, 2019 | 20,C,7 Sergeant David Jones Fitzpatrick The Colony Police Department, June 10, 2019 | 20,C,8 Corporal Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta, Jr. Mission Police Department, June 20, 2019 | 20,C,9 Deputy Sheriff Carlos A. Ramirez Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, July 2, 2019 | 20,C,10 Deputy Sheriff Jose Luis Blancarte Kinney County Sheriff’s Office, August 23, 2019 | 20,C,11 Trooper Moises Sanchez Texas Department of Public Safety, August 24, 2019 | 20,C,12 Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Harris County Sheriff’s Office, September 27, 2019 | 20,C,13 6 Roll Call of Officers Who Have Died in the Line of Duty | January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2020 Deputy Sheriff Matthew Ryan Jones Falls County Sheriff’s Office, October 11, 2019 | 20,C,14 Sergeant Christopher Charles Lewis Brewster Houston Police Department, December 7, 2019 | 20,C,15 Sergeant Kaila Marie Sullivan Nassau Bay Police Department, December 10, 2019 | 20,C,16 Deputy Bryan Charles Pfluger San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, December 21, 2019 | 20,C,17 Detective Clifton J. Martinez San Antonio ISD Police Department, December 21, 2019 | 20,C,18 Deputy Sheriff William Christopher Dickerson Panola County Sheriff’s Office, December 31, 2019 | 20,C,19 Officer Nicholas Lee Reyna Lubbock Police Department, January 11, 2020 | 26,D,1 Officer Alan Daniel McCollum Corpus Christi Police Department, January 31, 2020 | 26,D,2 Deputy Sheriff Richard E. Whitten Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, February 3, 2020 | 26,D,3 Senior Deputy Sheriff Christopher Scott Korzilius Travis County Sheriff’s Office, March 18, 2020 | 26,D,4 Corrections Officer IV Amanda L. DeLeon Texas Department of Criminal Justice, March 20, 2020 | 26,D,5 Officer Justin Read Putnam San Marcos Police Department, April 18, 2020 | 26,D,6 Corrections Officer V Jonathon Keith Goodman Texas Department of Criminal Justice, April 21, 2020 | 26,D,7 Chaplain II Akbar N. Shabazz Texas Department of Criminal Justice, April 23, 2020 | 26,D,8 7 Roll Call of Officers Who Have Died in the Line of Duty | January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2020 Deputy Sheriff John Andrew Rhoden Bell County Sheriff’s Office, April 26, 2020 | 26,D,9 Corrections Officer Coy D. Coffman, Jr. Texas Department of Criminal Justice, April 26, 2020 | 26,D,10 Corrections Officer V James D. Coleman Texas Department of Criminal Justice, April 28, 2020 | 26,D,11 Officer Jason M. Knox Houston Police Department, May 2, 2020 | 26,D,12 Deputy Constable Caleb Daniel Rule Fort Bend Co. Constable’s Office Pct 4, May 29, 2020 | 26,D,13 Officer Ismael Z. Chavez McAllen Police Department, July 11, 2020 | 26,D,14 Officer Edelmiro Garza, Jr. McAllen Police Department, July 11, 2020 | 26,D,15 Director N. Kyle Coleman Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, July 14, 2020 | 26,D,16 Officer Sheena Dae Yarbrough-Powell Beaumont Police Department, August 9, 2020 | 26,D,17 Chaplain Walterio Rodriguez Texas Department of Criminal Justice, August 13, 2020 | 26,D,18 Corrections Officer James W. Weston, Jr. Texas Department of Criminal Justice, August 26, 2020 | 26,D,19 Investigator Lemuel Delray “DJ” Bruce, Jr. Houston Fire Marshal’s Office, October 16, 2020 | 34,B,2 Sergeant Harold Lloyd Preston Houston Police Department, October 20, 2020 | 34,B,3 Sergeant Sean Sebastian Rios Houston Police Department, November 9, 2020 | 34,B,4 Chief Deputy Constable M. Wayne Rhodes Denton County Constable’s Office Pct 2, December 1, 2020 | 34,B,5 8 Roll Call of Officers Who Have Died Due to COVID-19 | January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020 The year 2020 brought the worst, not just for Texas law enforcement, but for law enforcement nationwide. In the midst of violent police protest, COVID-19 came without a warning and claimed the lives of 89 Texas Peace Officers in 2020. Today, we pause to honor those who lost their battle to this virus in 2020. Name Rank End of Watch Agency Kelvin D. Wilcher Corrections Officer IV 04/06/2020 Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice Brian Leath Magee Special Deputy 04/06/2020 U.S. DOJ | U.S. Marshal’s Service Timothy P.