Memorial service honors 55 Oakland police officers killed in the line of duty

Randy Wingate, father of Officer Jordan Wingate, and his grandson Jordan Wingate, 4, pin a flower to a display Wednesday during an annual memorial service at the Oakland Police Department for officers killed in the line of duty in Oakland, California. May 8, 2024. At left is Officer Sydney Kofford. Wingate, 28, died April 20, 2024, as a result of injuries sustained in an accident with a police vehicle in August 2018. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND — More than 250 relatives, friends and officers past and present paid their respects Wednesday at a memorial service honoring the 55 Oakland police officers killed in the line of duty since 1867 who were remembered as heroes who had “the courage had to be police”. Officer.”

At the ceremony at police headquarters, where attendees ranged from babies in strollers to people in their 90s, the names of two officers who died since December were read, now engraved on a lobby wall and highlighting the names of 53 others .

They were 36-year-old officer Tuan Le, who was fatally shot while responding to a burglary call on December 29, 2023, and 28-year-old officer Jordan Wingate, who died on April 20, 2024 as a result of an accident with a Police vehicle died in August 2018. The two most relatives and friends were present with the officers.

Acting Police Chief Tony Jones described all of the officers killed as “fallen heroes” and added: “There are things in life that you can’t teach or teach a person.” One of those elements is courage. It takes courage to be a police officer. It takes even more courage to be a police officer here in Oakland. The officers we want to remember today were born with this courage.”

Jones said police officers know the dangers of their job and that many in Oakland have had brushes with death.

“Those who don’t make it are the real heroes,” he said. “The heroes who risk everything so that the people who cannot protect themselves are safe.” These are the heroes we want to honor today.”

The ceremony was also attended by Oakland’s new police chief, Floyd Mitchell, who is expected to be sworn in next week, and Mayor Sheng Thao.

Deputy Police Chief James Beere said the 55 people who died were people with “backgrounds and stories as diverse as Oakland itself and who are forever bound together by an unbreakable bond of bravery.”

Beere told the audience, “There is no speech or ceremony that can ease your pain, no honor or salute.” But today we join together to honor their courage and fill your hearts with our gratitude for the life that you have led, and know that they will live on, not just in your hearts, but in the hearts of every Oakland police officer who serves for generations to come.”

As with previous ceremonies, each officer’s name was read aloud and a relative or a friend in attendance pinned a rose to a police badge flower arrangement in their honor.