WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — On Monday night at the National Mall, America honored those members of the thin blue line who lost their lives protecting the public over the past year. 158 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2018. Their names have been carved into the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
On Monday, friends, family, fellow officers, and the public gathered for the 31st National Law Enforcement Memorial candlelight vigil.
Attorney General William Barr spoke to the crowd at the event, which is the highlight of National Police Week in the nation’s capital.
In addition to the 158 officers who died in 2018, the names of 213 officers, who died in prior years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this spring, according to a news release. The national monument now contains the names of 21,910 fallen law enforcement officers.
“Tonight we embrace the names of 21,910 fallen heroes and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in safer communities,” said Lori Sharpe Day, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund via news release. “And we honor the courage of these brave men and women as we formally dedicate their names on the Memorial walls.”
An estimated 30,000 people attended Monday night’s ceremony — including many active law enforcement officers from across the country.