A rifle volley and the sound of bagpipes marked a somber ceremony Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles, where city leaders and Los Angeles Police Department brass honored hundreds of officers who have died in the line of duty.
Family members of some of the 241 officers who passed away in the line of duty were also present for the annual memorial ceremony, which also featured a volunteer choir and a helicopter flyover.
Also attending the Wednesday morning ceremony were Mayor Karen Bass and other elected officials, with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell presiding.
“These moments remind us of the importance of supporting one another, treating each other with greater kindness and carrying forward the values so selflessly embodied by those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” McDonnell told the gathering.
Traditional police honors, a roll call of fallen officers, a riderless horse, the rifle volley, a missing-man formation helicopter flyover, bagpipers playing Amazing Grace, a solo bugler playing Taps and an “End of Watch Broadcast” were also part of the ceremony, which included performances by the LAPD Choir, a group of sworn and civilian LAPD employees who join up and perform on a volunteer basis.
Family members, friends and partners of fallen officers shared memories of their loved ones and placed long-stem roses near the officers’ name plates on the memorial wall in the courtyard at LAPD Headquarters, where the ceremony was held.