Jacksonville's 65 Fallen Officers Remembered at Annual Police Memorial Day Observance
During the evening of Monday, April 15, 2024, survivors, and colleagues gathered at the Fallen Officers Memorial Wall* in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, to pay tribute to the law enforcement professionals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service for this community.
This year, 65 officers were remembered as the Sheriff unveiled
Deputy Sheriff Peder Thomas Johnson's name on the Fallen Officers Memorial Wall. Johnson lost his life as a result of gunfire while serving our community in December 1913. To read more,
please click here.
The annual Police Memorial Service included a candlelight vigil and speeches from Sheriff T.K. Waters, City Council President Ron Salem, and Darnell Smith, the Chief of Staff to the Mayor, along with a poem reading by JSO Director Mark Romano.
During his address, Sheriff Waters, reflected on the city's history, and the sacrifices of the fallen and their families. “So, as we remember these fallen heroes, let us also remember the ripple effects of their losses on members of our community, and of course, their families. The pictures and names permanently etched on this wall behind me serve as a solemn reminder of both our city's history and the magnitude of a life lived in public service,” said Sheriff Waters.
For more information about JSO's Fallen Heroes, please visit the
Roll Call of Honor page on this website.
*The wall was conceived and brought to fruition in 2017 by local resident, Adam Resch, as his Eagle Scout project and additions have been made to the wall since, including three lifelike statues and an interactive kiosk donated by the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation.