Former Mentor Police Specialist Added to Ohio Peace Officers Memorial

The 36th Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony was recently held at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London near Columbus.

The name of Mentor Police Specialist Gerry Lynch was among others added to the memorial.

Lynch served as a part-time mentor officer at the courthouse for more than four years after retiring from the Painesville Police Department. He died of Covid-19 on October 3, 2021.

Mentor Police Chief Ken Gunsch and Patrolman Kevin Hatch attended the ceremony along with Lynch’s family.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and law enforcement officials from across the state honored the memory of 836 Ohio peace officers who have died in the line of duty since 1823, including nine lost heroes in recent years, according to a news release .

The 2024 ceremony paid special recognition to the peace officers who sacrificed their lives between 2020 and 2023:

In addition to Lynch, those honored include Patrolman Mark U. Heinl of the St. Henry Police Department, Deputy Billy J. Ihrig of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Anthony E. Cloyd of the University of Dayton Department of Public Safety, Corporal Matthew D. Mitchell of the South Vienna Police Department, Deputy Terrance N. Bateman of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Timothy J. Unwin of the Springfield Township Police Department, Deputy Marcus L. Zeigler of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Joshua I. Hamilton of the Sheriff’s Office Preble County.

The ceremony also included the induction of Orion Hale, Germantown’s deputy police chief, who died in the line of duty in 1957 while responding to a call.