Latest news with #FallenHeroesDay
CBS News
02-05-2025
- CBS News
Maryland's annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony honors first responders who died in the line of duty
Maryland police, firefighters, emergency personnel and other first responders who have died in the line of duty will be honored during the 40th annual Fallen Heroes Day in Baltimore County. The ceremony, held at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, brings together all groups of the public safety community. Fallen Heroes Day is held each year on the first Friday in May. It provides an opportunity for the state to show its appreciation for first responders who risk their lives to protect citizens. The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Maryland's Fallen Heroes ceremony On Friday morning, Gov. Wes Moore ordered that Maryland flags be lowered to half-staff to honor Fallen Heroes Day. "Our state is stronger because of the members of our military, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders who served and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty," the governor said. Friday's ceremony will start with a procession of honor guard units from across Maryland, motorcycle police and mounted units. The family members of those who died in the line of duty will attend the ceremony, organizers said. Maryland remembers first responders who died in the line of duty According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were 76 on-duty firefighter deaths reported between 1990 and 2024 in Maryland. So far in 2025, the agency reported one on-duty firefighter death in Maryland. Montgomery County Firefighter Christopher Higgins died after suffering a medical emergency while battling a fire in January. He will be honored at the ceremony. The Officer Down Memorial Page reported two police line-of-duty deaths in 2024, including a Cecil County Police sergeant and Parole Agent Davis Martinez. Both of them will also be honored during the Fallen Heroes ceremony. Agent Davis Martinez was killed in May 2024 while he was visiting the home of a convicted sex offender in Montgomery County. It was the first time that a parole agent died in the line of duty in Maryland. Davis Martinez's brother, Michael Martinez, told WJZ that Davis was everyone's cheerleader. Michael Martinez also said his brother felt like his job was not appreciated enough, but being named a fallen hero, he said, speaks for itself. A total of nine fallen heroes will be honored during the ceremony, including Baltimore Police Officer Daoud Mingo, who died in December 2023. Mingo was injured when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle that had turned into his path during a funeral escort in 2015. He continued to serve the department until his retirement in 2020. He died from complications related to his injuries. Howard County Firefighter Richard Blankenship, Jr., will also be honored. According to event organizers, Blankenship served for two decades before he died from occupational cancer. "As we mark the 40th anniversary of Fallen Heroes Day, we are humbled and grateful as we remember all of the brave and heroic first responders who have made the supreme sacrifice. They did their jobs with grace and determination so that we all could be safe and protected," said President of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens Jack Mitchell.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Almost 1 year after Maryland parole agent's killing, younger brother remembers his ‘rock'
Maryland Parole & Probation Agent Davis Martinez and his younger brother, Michael, used to do everything together, from playing Super Nintendo while they were growing up, to traveling across the country as adults. Almost a year after Davis Martinez was killed on duty, prompting uproar over concerns in Maryland's parole office, Michael Martinez said life has been strange without his brother. 'Before, maybe [we were only] not talking for like, about a week' at most, Martinez said last week at the site where his brother is buried. 'But this, you know, just sitting down and realizing that it's almost been 11 months since my last conversation with him, it's kind of surreal.' Davis Martinez, 33, of Silver Spring, was found dead last May at the Chevy Chase home of a registered sex offender upon whom the parole agent had been conducting a check. The suspect, 55-year-old Emanuel Edward Sewell, was identified and arrested in West Virginia. His trial was canceled after he was found not mentally competent to stand trial last September. He awaits a competency hearing this coming September. Martinez will be remembered Friday at a statewide Fallen Heroes Day ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Among the 11 other fallen Maryland fire and police officers being honored are Baltimore Police officer Daoud A. Mingo, who was critically injured a decade ago during a funeral procession and died of those injuries in 2023, and Christopher Higgins, a Montgomery County firefighter killed this January while battling a fire in Laurel. At Friday's ceremony in Timonium, Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller and Baltimore County Executive Katherine A. Klausmeier will deliver memorial addresses and Baltimore sportscaster Scott Garceau will deliver the keynote speech. Martinez's on-duty death prompted demands for better working conditions at the state's parole department, which was cited by Maryland workplace safety officials due to the agent's killing. AFSCME Council 3 leadership called on the state's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to implement safety procedures that the union said had long been 'ignored,' such as virtual office visits, increased staffing levels and access to mental health services. Baltimore County man sentenced to 50 years for Howard County road rage shooting Luigi Mangione case: Defense seeks to drop terrorism charge, suppress evidence Baltimore reports lowest monthly homicides in city's recorded history Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of Annapolis man Severna Park man accused of setting neighbors house on fire, officials say The union also beseeched Gov. Wes Moore's administration to fire Maryland's public safety and corrections head, Carolyn Scruggs, in the wake of Martinez's death. Moore's administration changed leadership at the parole office, though Moore did not ultimately replace her. Martinez's 'memory continues to guide our mission and our reforms,' Scruggs said in a statement. 'As we honor him on Fallen Heroes Day and mark one year since his passing, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting those who protect others.' She said that his death has had a 'profound and lasting impact on our entire agency' and 'underscores the real risks our agents face every day in service to the people of Maryland.' At work, Martinez 'served with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to public safety,' Scruggs said in a statement. Earlier this year, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill, named the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act and advocated for by the union, aimed at strengthening protections for public sector workers. Whether they were playing the FIFA soccer video games, tasting whiskeys in Washington or on a lengthy trip together, Davis Martinez and his brother 'always leaned on one another,' Michael Martinez told The Baltimore Sun last week at the memorial site. 'There will be moments where I'm just like teetering, and you know, Davis was always sort of my rock, but I don't have that,' Michael Martinez said. 'And so now I gotta learn how to cope with everything that's kind of thrown in my way.' Davis Martinez had wanted a career in public safety, though he landed on parole and probation in part to avoid the risks associated with a typical police job. He had first looked into becoming a police officer, and though 'he was perfect for it' while interviewing, he was uncomfortable with the idea of needing to use deadly force against somebody, his brother said. 'I think one of the questions is, 'if you have to shoot somebody, will you do it?' And you know, Davis just balked at that question,' said his younger brother. He instead gravitated toward parole and probation, a field where he could use his criminal justice knowledge to help steer people in the right direction. 'He would help guide them through their situations … he really did care about them,' said Michael Martinez. 'He would have his clients call him, you know, he would help them find jobs … he was really involved.' Outside work, Davis Martinez was 'everything' to his brother: best friend, therapist, comedian, motivator. He would push his younger brother out of his comfort zone — their travels across the country and to Europe inspired his brother to solo travel more often. Davis was also 'huge health nerd' who worked out and did yoga. The siblings would also share the responsibility of taking care of their younger brother, who is autistic and nonverbal. With Davis gone, the house feels empty, his brother said. But his spirit lives on in some ways: Davis' girlfriend, Gypsy, whom he had only been dating for a few months is a part of the family now. And Michael Martinez now drives his brother's highlighter-yellow Jeep, which includes the countless plastic ducks received in his brother's memory. Have a news tip? Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@ on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- CBS News
Slain Maryland parole agent to be honored at this year's Fallen Heroes Day ceremony
Even though it's been almost a year since Maryland parole agent Davis Martinez was killed, his brother continues to feel him around. Right before Michael Martinez, Davis Martinez's brother, interviewed with WJZ, a phone in the room rang. "That's just Davis," Michael Martinez said with a smile. "He's just messing with us." Davis Martinez will be one of the public safety personnel honored at the 40th annual Fallen Heroes Day observance at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens on Friday, May 2. Michael Martinez described what it's been like living without his brother and his best friend. On May 31, 2024, Davis Martinez died while making a home visit to Emanuel Edward Sewell, a convicted sex offender in Montgomery County. Sewell has since been charged and is awaiting trial for his death. Davis Martinez's death marked the first time a parole agent died in the line of duty in Maryland. Everyone's cheerleader Michael Martinez said Davis Martinez was often the trendsetter for him and their younger brother, Joseph Martinez. Davis Martinez was the first in the family to graduate from high school and college. "He had to be the person who set everything. He wants us not to mess around or fumble it," Michael Martinez said. Michael Martinez also credits his older brother for giving him the travel bug. The two traveled to four European countries in 2023, and their favorite ended up being Turkey. "He really pushed me to do things that I wouldn't consider," Michael Martinez said. Michael Martinez said his older brother is the reason he's made it this far in life. But Davis Martinez was also everyone's cheerleader. "There would be moments where I just sort of accepted the path I was gonna go, but Davis did not. He saw there was something within me," Michael Martinez said. Honoring his legacy Michael Martinez said it hasn't felt as though a year had passed since Davis Martinez's death. "It really does feel like it happened six months ago, or even less. It's just, since his passing, everything has gone 100 mph," Michael Martinez said. Ever since losing his older brother, though, Michael Martinez said his family has been receiving an outpouring of support from around the country. Support has especially come in the form of rubber ducks. Jeep ducking, as it's called, is a popular tradition among Jeep owners. Once it was known Davis Martinez owned one, many have been sending rubber ducks in his honor. Michael Martinez, who now owns his brother's jeep, said they'd come in by the boxload. Michael Martinez said his older brother sometimes didn't feel like his job was appreciated enough. But, with all of this support -- and the fact he's been named a fallen hero -- he thinks it speaks for itself. "Everybody does appreciate the type of job he does," Michael Martinez said. Michael Martinez said he's still traveling in his brother's honor, having returned to Europe earlier this year. He adds that he and his family are also leading healthy lives, as Davis Martinez would've wanted. "I've taken my mom to the gym with me, I continue to take my little brother to the gym with me. Davis, he was pretty much the first one to ring the alarm for us to do that," Michael Martinez said. When asked if, in a sense, his older brother is still taking care of him in a way, Michael Martinez said yes. "His advice just continues to ring true for us to this day," he said.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ceremony to honor Maryland first responders who died in the line of duty
TIMONIUM, Md. — The 40th annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will honor Maryland first responders who died in the line of duty, according to a community announcement. The event will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, May 2, at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium. It is the only statewide ceremony in the nation that brings together all segments of the public safety community, according to the announcement. The ceremony will open with a procession of honor guard units from across the state, mounted units and motorcycle police. Families of the fallen heroes will receive a replica of the Fallen Heroes Memorial and a resolution from the Maryland General Assembly. The ceremony will conclude with a wreath placement, a 21-gun salute, Taps and a flyover. The bell housed on Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial will toll in honor of each fallen hero and all Maryland first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Baltimore County Executive Katherine A. Klausmeier will deliver a memorial address, and the keynote speaker will be Baltimore sportscaster Scott Garceau. Lynne Parry, the newly appointed president and executive director of the Maryland Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, will speak on behalf of the families. Mary Beth Marsden, a local broadcaster and artist, will serve as the emcee. The ceremony will honor several fallen heroes, including Chief Kevin E. Morgan of the Boonsboro Police Department, who passed away April 13, 2024, after suffering a medical emergency while on duty. Morgan served with the Brunswick Police Department, was a K-9 officer with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and became the chief of the Boonsboro Police Department. He was 63 years old. Other honorees include Master Firefighter Michael T. Warfel, Deputy Chief William F. Goddard III, Firefighter Richard E. Blankenship Jr., Deputy Sheriff Corey D. McElroy, Police Officer Daoud A. Mingo, Agent Davis G. Martinez, Sergeant Brenda J. Lowery and Lieutenant Christopher J. Higgins. The ceremony will also remember police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty before Fallen Heroes Day was established. This year, Sgt. Wallace J. Mowbray, Capt. Charles P. Ditch and Lt. Joseph A. Stigler will be recognized. In 1976, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens set aside burial spaces for fallen heroes and their spouses. The first observance of Fallen Heroes Day was held May 16, 1986, and was later moved to the first Friday in May. In 2007, the 70-acre cemetery was purchased by John O. Mitchell III of the family-owned Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home in Rodgers Forge/Towson, Md. The Mitchell family continues the tradition of the Fallen Heroes Day ceremony. The Fallen Heroes Memorial is within Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens at 200 E. Padonia Road, Timonium. Currently, 81 members of the public safety community are buried at the Fallen Heroes Memorial. Including this year's observance, a total of 234 fallen heroes will have been honored at the annual ceremony. For more information, go to or call 410-666-0490. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. National Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony in Hagerstown this Saturday, March 29, 2025 This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Boonsboro Chief of Police Kevin E. Morgan to be honored in Timonium
