Danville Police hold memorial for fallen peace officers
DANVILLE, Va. (WFXR) – The Danville Police Department hosted a Peace Officers Memorial on Thursday, May 15, in Memory of all the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Six officers have died in Danville during the line of duty, five from the Department and one from the Danville Sheriff's Office.
'Like every officer who serves today, each of the fallen from our ranks prepared to go to work that day, putting on the uniform and pinning on the badge, not knowing what opportunities, challenges, or risks they may face while they went about their duty to serve our community,' Chief Chris Wiles said.
During the service, there was a rose placed in memory of each person's life, along with a ringing of a bell in their honor. The Danville Police Department Honor Guard also played taps with a benediction from Police Chaplain Jeff Lynch.
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The Police stated the following lives lost in the line of duty in Danville:
On Saturday, March 7, 1896, a prisoner shot and killed Deputy Sergeant William A. Cook while attempting to escape from the city jail. The pistol used was smuggled into the jail. Cook was killed four days before his 55th birthday.
On Friday, Oct. 12, 1917, Officer William H. McCray, a 26-year veteran, was shot and killed while entering the home of a barricaded person. The male suspect wounded other officers before ultimately being killed by law enforcement officials.
On Tuesday, June 14, 1921, Officer John P. Jones was just six months into his career when he was shot and killed by a shotgun rigged to the door of a local store. While on night shift, Jones noticed the door was partially open and went to investigate. When he opened the door, he was struck by the shotgun blast that the store owner had set to catch burglars.
On Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005, Officer Courtney Lamont Dickerson was responding to an alarm call when he was involved in a motor vehicle crash that took his life. He was ejected from the car and died later that night. He was one year into his career.
On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, Officer Bonnie Jones, a 17-year veteran, died after contracting COVID-19 while working. Officer Jones was one of many peace officers to succumb to COVID-19 in the United States as a result of their job, which required face-to-face interaction with the community while most were still in quarantine.
May 15 was proclaimed as National Peace Officers Memorial Day by President Kennedy in 1962 to recognize all of the fallen officers who lost their lives protecting others on the job.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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