Honor the Living, Remember the Fallen
Gov. Andy Beshear is joining the commonwealth in honoring the almost 8,000 Kentuckians who have devoted their lives to protecting the commonwealth, during National Police Week, which is held May 12 -18 this year.
Heartbreakingly, in 2023, law enforcement agencies in the United States lost 137 peace officers in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial webpage. Among those was Kentucky’s own hero, Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy Caleb Conley, whose life was cut short when he was shot while conducting a traffic stop on May 22.
“Those brave Kentucky law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice deserve to be honored and remembered not just during National Police Week, but every single day,” said Gov. Beshear. “When we add Deputy Conley’s name to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial, it is a symbol that we will never forget his sacrifice and the sacrifices that those 589 men and women and their families have made for us.”
President John F. Kennedy initiated National Police Week in 1962. Each year since, the week of May 15 has included a series of events honoring the more than 26,000 American law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since 1786. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial monument in Washington, D.C., holds the names of more than 23,000 of those officers.
The Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation’s monument on the campus of the Department of Criminal Justice Training currently bears the names of the officers who gave their lives in protection to the commonwealth. This year’s addition of Deputy Conley and nine historical names to the monument brings the number of Kentucky officers who died in the line of duty to 589.
"National Police Week is a time to honor the sacrifice and dedication of our law enforcement officers,” said Department of Criminal Justice Training Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “It serves as a reminder of the risks they undertake daily to protect our communities, fostering unity and appreciation for their unwavering commitment to public safety.”
The memorial foundation seeks to recognize all Kentucky peace officers who have given their lives in service to the commonwealth and will host the annual memorial ceremony on Tuesday, June 4, at 10 a.m.
Each year, a survivor — a family member or comrade — is asked to speak at the ceremony. This year’s speaker will be Katie Ellis DeSimone, whose late husband, Richmond Police Officer Daniel Ellis, died in the line of duty on Nov. 6, 2015.
“Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony (has been) an extraordinarily special event for me because it was here, in Richmond, where Daniel gave his life in service for the community,” said DeSimone. “I had been by the memorial many times before that day, but after sharing the experience of such loss, the gravity of this memorial and what it represents resonates on a much deeper level. When you personally understand the sacrifices associated with each and every name, the impact is profound and almost unimaginable.”
In addition to Deputy Conley, the nine historical names that will be added to the memorial monument this year are:
Arthur J. Harrington, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch June 6, 1876
George Ellis, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch Dec. 10, 1877
Boyd Arnett, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch Aug. 20, 1895
Tes Deakins, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office—End of Watch Nov. 2, 1897
James M. Blair, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch Aug. 21, 1899
Howard Wilson, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch July 8, 1900
Elijah F. Hoskins, Crab Orchard Police Department—End of Watch Dec. 24, 1911
Everett M. Gibson, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office—End of Watch July 25, 1949
Noah R. Friend, U.S. Marshal—End of Watch Nov. 13, 1963.
The memorial monument was built in 2000 and has since been expanded twice, including this year’s additional wings. The foundation also includes an ongoing financial endowment program, which helps officers and telecommunicators with various means of assistance—such as educational, medical and emergency needs.
