Remembering fallen peace officers
Police Week event honors local deputies
PALMDALE — In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy and Congress designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, paying tribute to the local, state,and federal law enforcement officers who died or who have been injured in the line of duty. The observance takes place during Police Week.
The City of Palmdale held a socially-distanced second annual Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony Tuesday morning at Poncitlán Square that was also broadcast on the City’s Facebook page. In attendance were Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers, and representatives of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and members of the public.
“We at the City of Palmdale join and recognize the tremendous sacrifices that law enforcement officers make every day. Police Week is typically a time to come together and share memories and stories and honor our friends who have made the ultimate sacrifice. … We are especially thankful for the brave men and women who are serving the residents of Palmdale, the deputies at our own Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, the California Highway Patrol who serve in the Antelope Valley, our public security officers who represent the City of Palmdale, and all public safety who work to maintain a safe and secure and peaceful community that we all enjoy,” City Manager J.J. Murphy said
Mayor Steve Hofbauer presented proclamations to Capt. Ron Shaffer of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, Capt. Eric Broneer of the Antelope Valley CHP, and Nathan Wilcox of the California Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation, who was there on behalf of Warden R.C. Johnson.
Shaffer thanked the city for hosting the event and the public for coming out to show their support.
“Palmdale deputies are the finest in the department. We have the largest patrol area in the sheriff’s department, and is essential our personnel are self-sufficient when they perform their duties. Because the majority of them live in the AV, they are more committed to the cause of public safety, engaging the public as they perform their duties,” Shaffer said.
He added deputies’ experiences can expose them to the very best of people and the worst of humanity in the same day, shift, and hour.
Last year was a deadly year for law enforcement officers throughout the United States, Shaffer said, adding 295 police officers died including 182 who were victims of the Coronavirus. In the LA County Sheriff’s Department, one deputy died due to a traffic collision, and five died due to the Coronavirus. Tuesday also marked the 29th anniversary of the line of duty death of Deputy Richard B. Hammack.
Hammack was a narcotics investigator serving a high-risk warrant to a suspected drug dealer in a mobile home park. The suspect fired on the deputies, and Hammack was shot when he ran to the aid of his fellow deputies who had been fired on.
“True to Deputy Hammack’s character, he ran to the gunfire regardless of the danger to himself. Our community lost more than a deputy, we lost an avid hockey player who coached children’s hockey,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer also noted the line of duty death in February 1916 of Deputy Constable George A. Curtis, who was shot and killed after he had been deputized as a constable.
Capt Broneer remembered CHP officer Andy Ornelas, who died last December as a result of injuries suffered in a collision when his CHP motorcycle collided with a pickup truck that attempted a U-turn directly in front of him.
“Andy was one of those people that once you met him, from the first time you knew him, you liked him. He was just one of those warm friendly people with a warm friendly smile and he treated everybody that he met with respect and compassion. He was one of those people that would go out of his way to help anybody that was in need, whether he knew them personally or not,” Broneer said.
Wilcox expressed a deep-felt gratitude to the City of Palmdale for including the Department of Corrections. He honored local correctional officer George Solis, who died Dec. 24 of COVID-19.
Dignitaries from the offices of Congressman Mike Garcia, represented by Jackie Owens; state Sen. Scott Wilk, represented by Drew Mercy; Assemblyman Tom Lackey, represented by Brandon Roque; and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, represented by Charles F. Bostwick, also presented certificates to each of the peace officer representatives.
Master Sgt. Gerald Lockwood played “Taps.” LA County Sheriff’s Chaplin Jorge Carew gave the benediction.
Mayor Hofbauer gave the closing remarks.
“Let’s take these final few moments on this Peace Officer Memorial Day to not only remember those who gave their lives, but also to thank and honor the families and friends who so deeply have experienced the loss of a loved one. These are the men and women, boys and girls, who watch their loved ones leave home each day knowing that there’s a possibility that they may not return at the end of their shift . ... We thank you for that sacrifice and we promise never to forget.”
The ceremony closed with captains Shaffer and Broneer presenting the memorial wreath in front of the gazebo, and bagpiper Chris Parke playing “America, the Beautiful” and “Amazing Grace.”