By Brian Smith
Register News Writer
RICHMOND —
Overcast skies and intermittent rain did little to diminish the turnout Tuesday morning for the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony at the Department of Criminal Justice Training center on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus.
Gov. Steve Beshear was on hand to lay the ceremonial wreath at the memorial outside the DOCJT campus before delivering brief remarks thanking all law enforcement officers for their service.
The ceremony was intended to commemorate the 26 historical names added to the memorial while recognizing the fact that no law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2009, but recent events altered those plans.
A Lexington Division of Police officer, Bryan Durman, was killed April 29 in a hit-and-run accident. Lexington Chief Ronnie Bastin was present at the ceremony along with Durman’s wife and several members of the Lexington force, although Durman’s name will not be added to the memorial until next year.
The 26 names added to the memorial for 2010 represented officers from across Kentucky who were killed in the line of duty between 1882 and 1969 but who had not been added to the national memorial until recently, a requirement to be recognized on the state’s memorial monument.
Some of the fallen officers added for 2010 were represented at the ceremony by friends or representatives of their law enforcement agencies for the flag presentation ceremony and reading of names. A ceremonial 21-gun salute was fired following the flag presentation ceremony.
The Berea College women’s chorus performed during the ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the Kentucky State Police and other state law enforcement agencies, a number of municipal police departments and sheriff’s offices, including the Richmond and Berea police departments, and friends and family of officers in addition to DOCJT training classes.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694. For breaking news, follow Brian on Twitter at twitter.com/RR_BSmith.
