Law Enforcement Memorial Day: Honoring Officers Who Have Fallen

he 17th annual Local Law Enforcement Memorial Day ceremony at the in Stillwater will recognize the many officers who have been recently killed in the line of duty, in addition to addressing the day-to-day stress and dangers of the job.

The event, sponsored by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, is set for Monday, May 16 starting at noon in front of the Historic Courthouse, 101 West Pine Street.

“This is to honor the police officers who go off to work each day without a 100 percent certainty that they will be able to come home at night," said Gary Kriesel, Washington County Board chairman representing Stillwater and an Armed Forces veteran.

Last year citizens, Washington County board members, TenthDistrict judges and local government officials attended the event, along with representatives from law enforcement agencies throughout Washington County and Minnesota.

The ceremony recognizes National Correctional Officers Week (May 1-7) and National Peace Officers Week (May 15-21). Ceremonies will also be held at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., and on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds, that evening.

It honors officers from Minnesota who have died in the line of duty. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the ceremony at the courthouse and share in fellowship, including cake and refreshments following the event.

“There have been several significant occurrences in and around Washington County where an officer has fallen,” Washington County Sheriff William Hutton said. Perhaps most noteworthy was the slaying of Maplewood Police Sgt. Joe Bergeron, he said.

There have been many other high-profile incidents both locally and nationally this year, Hutton said.

“Every day they may face such situations at work," the sheriff said. "Training in how to deal with them is a key.”

This includes skills in how to verbally diffuse a volatile situation.

Hutton noted that correctional officers are included in the observance since they face similar issues that include the potential for violence against them.

Oak Park Heights Police Chief Brian DeRosier uses an analogy to describe officers' stress: A whole bunch of small things are like the trash, which builds up in a garbage can, and eventually overflows.

The public may hear a lot about officers being killed, but may not appreciate as much those who become injured or even mentally fatigued.

“Out in the field, we make contact on a day-to-day basis with individuals where we might make an arrest, or might face a suspect who is uncooperative, and there are simple jobs that can be hard and stressful where there is no resolution,” DeRosier said.

Officers sometimes need to enter people's houses and keep control of a situation on those people's home turf, he said. They don't know if there might be a loaded gun or knife in the drawer next to where they are standing, a rifle behind the door, or other dangerous situation that could crop up.

For more information on the event, visit www.co.washington.mn.us.