 On behalf of the Denver Police Department, welcome to the 32nd Annual Fallen Officers Memorial Ceremony. National Police Week occurs each year in May and serves to recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement. It was established by Joint Resolution of Congress in 1962. National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who've lost their lives and the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. If you could please stand as we honor the surviving members and friends of our fallen officers. Please continue standing for the presentation of colors by the Denver Police Department Honor Guard and the National Anthem sung by Sergeant Kim Trudell and Technician Latricia Gus. As you remain standing, please welcome Denver Police Chaplain Jeffrey Grumley for our invocation. As we begin this ceremony, to honor our fallen heroes, please bow your heads and close your eyes. Pause in this quiet, the stillness of this moment. In silence and attentive to the occasion, let us be mindful of those who are not with us, our fallen heroes, prayerfully aware of their sacrifice and service that has protected our freedom and safety. We also acknowledge the grief and loss of those who have survived, family and friends. We ask you to be open to receive the support and love drawing strength from the presence of the many gathered here today. We offer love, remembering and compassion to friends, fellow officers and the entire Denver Police family. We humbly ask for spiritual sustenance, grateful for the precious gift of life. We honor all individual personal beliefs and our collective diversity of faiths. We know our spiritual and religious traditions bring comfort and solace, as well as strength and vitality to our lives and the well-being of our Denver Police family and our Denver community. Amen. I would like to thank each of you for taking the time to attend this ceremony today. Thanks to the members of the Denver Police Department, the Denver Sheriff Department, the Denver Fire Department, all other law enforcement agencies and attendants, as well as the agencies and individuals who were unable to attend this ceremony, as they remain ever vigilant in protecting the communities that they serve. Thank you to the Denver Police Museum, the Denver Police Officers Foundation and the Denver Police Foundation, organizers and volunteers for the time and effort put forth year after year to make this ceremony possible and meaning for everyone involved. Most importantly, I'd like to give special thanks to the families and friends of the fallen officers for whom we gather here to honor today. The heroic sacrifices of your loved ones live in the spirit of service and protection, and we carry them with us always. As we recognize those who have gone before us, who demonstrated selfless courage in the face of danger, we owe it to our current officers to continue to provide them with the tools, training and resources that they need to be safe and as healthy as possible. We all understand that there are inherent risks in policing that cannot be eliminated, but we can always strive to improve each day. During the past several years, we had numerous close calls, and we're ultimately fortunate that we did not add any new names to the wall. During each of these incidents, our department, other city agencies and the community came together to support our officers for which we are grateful. The knowledge of the dangers associated with police work makes the sacrifices of the officers listed on the memorial all the more sacred. Let us move forward with a renewed sense of dedication to the safety of our community and ourselves while always maintaining an appreciation for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. And now, to say a few words, please welcome Mayor Michael B. Hancock. Thank you and thank you to Lieutenant Martinez for not only introduction and your MC in today, but for your 41 years of service to the people of Denver. You know, it's a real honor to be here this morning to recognize these fallen heroes. And as we do, let's also pay homage to those who continue to serve every day in uniform to protect the people of our great city. To the men and women of the Denver Police Department, we say thank you for your service no matter where you serve. I also want to acknowledge the presence of someone who today is her last day on post, on watch. After 33 years of service, our Deputy Chief of Police, Barb Archer, is retiring. And so we can acknowledge her, one of my favorite people. Throughout our lives, we all have lost loved ones who are dear to us. While all loss brings sadness, the loss of these fallen officers was and still is felt throughout the entire community. As we gather to honor your loved ones and members of the Denver Police family, we remember that it's not how they died that made them heroes, it was how they lived and the choice they made to serve. They chose to make a true and positive difference in our community, knowing the inherent dangers they would encounter. And they still chose to step up for a community that needed them. They chose a life of integrity, service and sacrifice, a choice we honor today and carry with us every day. As Mayor and a lifelong resident of Denver, I and all of us are forever indebted to our sisters and brothers in blue who continue to show up and perform this dangerous job and who show up to make our city safer for everyone. And to those in their service to our city gave the full measure of devotion. I hope you know that you do and understand that these matters matter to all of us. You matter to us, your sacrifice matters to us and we appreciate you beyond words. Something I've learned is that grief stays with us for a very long time. And particularly those families who are here today and those loved ones who put on the uniform know all too well. But what's important is how we remember them and how we carry their legacies with us. So please hear me when I say the choice of our fallen officers and those who wear the badge today to put others above self. Has and does and will will reign with all of us and with me. And even though today is the last memorial service that I will stand here as Mayor of Denver, I promise you that these fallen officers and their families, all of you will remain in my prayers as you have every day of my service. So please be safe to those men and women in uniform. We thank you again for your service and to the families. We thank you for the sacrifice that your loved ones paid for all of us. Now may God bless you and cover you the rest of the days of your life. Thank you all. Thank you Mayor for your meaningful words. And now to say a few words, please welcome Director of Safety Armando Saldate. Good morning and thank you all for joining us today to honor the women and men of the Denver Police Department that sacrificed their lives protecting and serving our community. It occurs to me that Mayor Hancock, this is your last memorial that you'll attend in your official capacity. I know you'll attend many more in the future, but it caused me to reflect a little bit. And part of my role as being the executive director is sometimes I have to deliver critical news to the mayor and sometimes that news involves our Denver Police Department. On a couple of occasions I've had to call the mayor, wake him up or catch him when he's out in the community to deliver news that one of our officers had been shot in the line of duty. I'll tell you, when I've had those conversations with Mayor Hancock, he's always very concerned. He always asks immediately how can I help, how can I support the families and how can I help the officer that has been injured. I want to thank you Mayor for never forgetting, for never forgetting the sacrifice that our officers go through each day and the concern you've always showed them and for being part of our public safety family, you will be missed. We stand today with their survivors, family, friends and loved ones of the fallen, know that we will never forget their sacrifice. I hope you're comforted by the women and men of the Denver Police Department represented here today that carry on the memory of your fallen heroes. They continue to fulfill the commitment to stand in harm's way, protect the innocent and answer the call. As we gather to pay tribute to the fallen, we are all reminded of the uncertainty and danger our officers face each day. Yet, just as the officers memorialized on this wall did, Denver's finest respond with acts of bravery, valor and selflessness to protect our community. I'm grateful for all of you coming together today to honor the fallen. We find strength in the support we provide one another. We find inspiration from the memory and example of the fallen. And we find hope in the commitment to service demonstrated by Denver Police officers every day, all day. Thank you. Be safe. Thank you, Director, for your kind words. Please welcome Chief of Police Ron Thomas. Good morning. I want to welcome and say thank you first to the families of our fallen officers and then to all the Denver Police and Department of Safety members, as well as all of our community and public safety partners who join us today as we gather to remember and honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. From the first day an officer pins on the Denver Police badge, they immediately become a valued member of the Denver Police family. And so do all of their loved ones. And as with traditional families, we support one another. We gather in good times and in bad. And we gather to celebrate and remember those we've lost. As we gather today, I am moved by all of you who are here to honor our fallen officers and their families. There are 77 names etched into this memorial behind me. That's 77 members of our police family who we carry with us as we continue to serve our community. To be a police officer means always showing up to do this very rewarding, but at times very dangerous, work for our community. And we've had some close calls in the past year and I thank God that we didn't lose any officers. Unfortunately though, we know that can change in an instant. Nevertheless, we show up anyway. And I imagine just as our officers out there serving our community right now continue to show up despite the risks, so too would each of these fallen officers. These names represent true heroes, heroes who daily put service above self, heroes who knew the risk but did it anyway. While the dangers remain, so does our courage, dedication, resilience and service. I was blessed to have known several of these officers and I think of them often, along with the ones I did not know and I carry them all with me every day. We all mourn the loss of your loved ones, our sisters and brothers who died wearing this badge. You remain part of our family and we will always be here for you. As I go forward, I strive to lead with the integrity and honor that their names and lives of service represent. And as we all go about our days, I encourage everyone to act in a manner that truly honors the legacy, memory and service of these officers. Again, thank you all and be safe. Thank you, Chief Thomas, for your reflections on our fallen officers. At this time, please stand if you're able to for the announcement of roll call for the fallen officers, which will be presented from District 2 Sergeant Chris Baird and District 3 Sergeant Kara Jenkins. James C. Richie, John C. Phillips, Charles F. Wainlis, Charles A. Howley, Gustav Giesen, Alpheus J. Moore, Wendell P. Smith, Thomas C. Clifford, William E. Griffis, Stuart K. Harvey, Frank Duhlin, William Bohanna, John Spellman, William H. Beck, William P. Stevens, Samuel C. Carpenter, Andrew Sandberg, William McPherson, William H. Kabler, Luther McMay Hill, Frank S. Potesto, Peter A. Walsh, Emerson L. McKinnon, George C. Klein, James Bogeo, Roy O. Downing, Willie O. Steen, Clarence E. Zietz, Forrest Ross, author J. Pinkerton, Richie Rose, James Shannon, Elmer I. Rich, Harry Ole, Robert K. Evans, Thomas J. Durkin, Clarence W. Austin, William C. Keating, George P. Snyder, John F. Day, John J. O'Donnell, Thomas J. Connor, Clarence E. Fraker, Alson E. McCaslin, Robert M. Campbell, Pasquale C. Maranero, Forrest E. Sawyer, Jacob G. Binner, Fred Renovato, Earl F. Burns, Virgil M. Hall, William A. Clawson, Donald L. Syke, Edward H. Smerdle, Darrell J. Sewer, Carl B. Canabi, Paul L. Major, Paul D. Wilson, William J. Wertz, Merle E. Nading, William E. Smith, Donald L. DeBruno, Richard Klein, David Tafoya, Kathleen Garcia, Patrick J. Pollack, James E. Weir, Robert W. Wallace, Sean Linen, Ronald D. Herrera, Bruce Vanderjack, Michael E. Dowd, Dennis M. Lakata, Donald R. Young, David Roberts, Selena C. Hollis, Robert E. Sandoval. Please remain standing for the benediction by Chaplain Jeffrey Grimley. We close this solemn ceremony with thoughts grateful for the opportunity to gather together to remember these officers are fallen heroes. We promise to support their families and friends in the grief and loss they bear. We keep our hearts open to generously offer assistance and support to them. We do this with humble hearts, amen. On behalf of the women and men of the Denver Police Department and our families, we thank you for your participation and support at today's memorial. Thank you and as always, be safe.