Crime & Safety
Vigil Honors Fallen Police Officers
In honor of National Police Week, Prince William County remembers those officers that paid the ultimate sacrifice.
View video from the candlelight vigil that was held on Tuesday in honor of Prince William County's fallen police officers. Speakers include Chairman Corey Stewart, Chief of Police Charlie Dean, members of the eastern and western police districts as well as a bagpiper.
"On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours," said a release from the department.
In honor of the memory of fallen officers, May 15 was designated in 1962 by the President of the United States as National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. Annually, the week surrounding May 15 is observed as National Police Week. This year, Police Week is May 15-21.
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The following is a list of those local law enforcement heroes:
- Trooper Jackie M. Bussard, Virginia State Police – May 1970
- Officer Paul T. White Jr., Prince William County Police – Oct. 1973
- Investigator Claude Everett Seymour, Virginia State Police – April 1975
- Trooper Johnny R. Bowman, Virginia State Police – Aug. 1984
- Sergeant John D. Conner III, Manassas City Police – July 1988
- Officer Phillip M. Pennington, Prince William County Police – Nov. 1990
- Trooper Jose M. Cavazos, Virginia State Police – Feb. 1993
- Special Agent William H. Christian Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation – May 1995
- Detective John M. Gibson, United States Capitol Police – July 1998
- Officer Marlon E. Morales, Metro Transit Police – June 2001
- Second Lt. Francis Joseph Stecco, Fairfax County Police – Oct. 2008
- Special Agent Chad L. Michael, Drug Enforcement Administration – Oct. 2009
- Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon, Drug Enforcement Administration – Oct. 2009
- Officer, Metropolitan Police – Oct. 2010
