Washington, DC - Today, the National Fraternal Order of Police and National Auxiliary will gather on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol to honor the 443 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty during 2022.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland will deliver the Keynote Address.
“This past year has been one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement in recent history due to the increase of violence directed towards law enforcement officers as well as the nationwide crime crisis,” said Patrick Yoes, National President. “We gather here today on the West Front of the Capitol to honor our fallen Brothers and Sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community. The sacrifice of these fallen officers and their families will never be forgotten.”
Thousands of officers, as well as the surviving family members and friends of slain officers, have traveled from across the country to the nation’s capital to attend the FOP’s 42nd Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, which is the nation’s largest and most prominent memorial service held on behalf of fallen law enforcement officers.
“We can measure time, but we cannot measure loss,” said Yoes. “The FOP grieves with all of the surviving families whose lives have been forever changed because of their loved one’s service to protect our communities. We promise to never let these families walk alone. May these heroes rest in peace, and may we say their names often so that their memories may live on.”
FACT SHEET: 42ND ANNUAL PEACE OFFICERS’ MEMORIAL SERVICE
INFORMATION ON THIS YEAR’S EVENT• National FOP President Patrick Yoes will host the event, which will honor 443 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
• U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland will deliver the Keynote Address.
HISTORY OF THE EVENT
• In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. Since the signing of this proclamation, this date has been the official day of recognition for law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the performance of their duty. This is the 42nd year that the Fraternal Order of Police and its Auxiliary have held the National Peace Officers Memorial Service.
• On 15 May 1982, the Fraternal Order of Police and its Auxiliary hosted the First Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. The ceremony has become nationally recognized, which contributed to the building and dedication of the “Wall of Remembrance” on Judiciary Square in Washington, D.C. Currently, the Wall is inscribed with the names of the more than 23,000 law enforcement officers who have made the supreme sacrifice “to protect and serve” the laws and the citizens of the United States.
FACTS ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER LINE-OF-DUTY DEATHS
• A total of 443 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2022, 63 officers succumbed to illnesses they contracted when they responded to the terrorist attack on 9/11.
• Of the total officers killed in the line of duty, 75 deaths were by gunfire in 2022.
• Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 23,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
• The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 2021 when 623 officers were killed (436 were COVID-19-related).
• The deadliest decade was the 1920s when a total of 2,437 officers died, or 243 each year.
• The deadliest day in law enforcement history was 11 September 2001, when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on the United States.