TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Police Department held a memorial service to honor fallen and injured officers in the line of duty on Saturday.
The service was at the Tulsa Police Training Division in north Tulsa. 41 Tulsa officers have died in the line of duty since 1917.
A few months later in October, Officer Jerad Lindsey passed away unexpectedly after a short battle with the Coronavirus which he is believed to have contracted on duty.
The memorial is held every year, but this year was especially emotional as the department lost two officers in the past 11 months.
Sgt. Craig Johnson died after he and Officer Aurash Zarkeshan were shot during a traffic stop last June.
Officer Zarkeshan, who continues to recover from last summer’s shooting, participated in Saturday’s service, placing a carnation in a vase in honor of every officer who has been injured.
More on the memorial:
In September 1996, a small group of individuals who shared a common dream came together to form the Tulsa Police Officers’ Memorial Committee. This group consists of police officers, retired officers, officers’ families, and police chaplains. Their dream is to build an everlasting memorial to honor Tulsa police officers who were killed in the line of duty; to create a place where police officers, family members of fallen officers, and citizens can come to honor those officers who bravely gave their lives in the line of duty.