Indiana fallen officer names to be added to national memorial
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The names of five Indiana law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in 2023 are expected to be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in 2024.
The names of fallen officers are typically added to the memorial in Washington, D.C., during Police Week in May.
“The families who come to the memorial it’s almost impossible to put into words the experience that they have when they come and see their loved ones’ names inscribed on our very sacred walls,” Bill Alexander, interim CEO of the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund told WISH-TV. “The healing that goes on here, the catharsis, the camaraderie, the partnership, the coming together to being surrounded by other people to some degree who know what it is you’re going through.”
The memorial wall includes the names of more than 23,000 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in the United States since 1786.
Five Indiana names are likely to be added during the solemn ceremony in 2024:
- Master Trooper James Bailey, Indiana State Police.
- Deputy Asson Hacker, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.
- Trooper Aaron Smith, Indiana State Police.
- Sgt. Heather Glenn, Tell City Police.
- Deputy John Durm, Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
“There’s a quote on our very sacred walls by a survivor that says, ‘It’s not how these officers died that made them heroes, it’s how they lived,” Alexander said. “So to a very big degree, that sentiment flows through all those who come to the memorial and to the vigil to recognize it’s not just the men and women whose names are inscribed on our walls, but we view all men and women in law enforcement as heroes.”
The National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund also operates the National Law Enforcement Museum as well as officer safety and wellness programs nationwide.