This year 42 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States. That is one every two and half days.  To honor those officers, a special ceremony was held in front of the Yakima Police Station today.  Yakima Police Chief Dominic Rizzi addressed the crowd,

The Yakima Police Department has been fortunate that she has not lost an officer in the line of duty, but make no mistake, we all suffer every time an officer is lost, or pays the ultimate price.

In 1962 President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as National Peace Officers day.  In addition to Chief Rizzi, Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin, Yakima Mayor Micah Cawley and Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke addressed the
crowd gathered to honor fallen peace officers.  Yakima has never had a police officer killed in the line of duty, but that did not stop the Yakima Police Department from paying tribute to the fallen.

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