Hundreds Attend Dallas 'Police Week' March & Ceremony
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - National Police Week continued Wednesday with a special march in downtown Dallas. Former and current police officers, family, friends and citizens joined members of the Dallas Police Department in the march from the corner of Griffin Street and Young Street to the Police Memorial on Akard Street.
The events were to honor the sacrifices made by Dallas police officers, especially those who have given their lives in the performance of their duties. It was last year, on July 7, when four Dallas police officers and a DART officer were killed in the line of duty.
After the march, a memorial service was held. In addition to performances by the Dallas Police Choir, there was a reading of the "Roll Call of Honor," a 21-gun salute and a flyover by the Dallas police helicopter.
During the memorial, the names and badge numbers of the Dallas police officers killed in the July ambush were read for the first time, but they have already been carved into a memorial outside of Dallas City Hall.
Dallas police Sgt. Richard Foy said that he was there for a specific reason. "We want the families and the friends of the officers that have gone before us to know that we haven't forgotten them or the sacrifices that they made," he said.
On Monday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. for the National Police Week memorial service -- among them were some 200 past and present Dallas police officers. During the ceremony to remember the fallen, the names of Dallas police officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Patrick Zamarripa and DART police officer Brent Thompson were among the nearly 400 read aloud.
Dallas Police Association president Michael Mata said that it's important to remember the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. "We just came back from Washington, honoring them there at the National Memorial. So, I think people are really emotionally attached to this this year and I think we need to be here for these families," Mata said.
National Police Week runs through May 21.