LONDON, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and law enforcement officers from throughout the state gathered Thursday for the 33rd annual Ohio Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony to honor the 809 Ohio officers who have died in the line of duty since 1823.
Yost memorialized the seven Ohio police officers killed in the line of duty over the past two years.
Among the names added to the memorial at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in the city of London was Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia. He was shot and killed on July 4, 2020, while responding to a report of a drunk person in a Home Depot parking lot.
"The sacrifice these brave men and women made to protect us all from harm can never be fully repaid, so it is our duty to honor them and never forget them,” Yost said. “They took an oath and followed it until the end, and they will forever be remembered as heroes.”
WATCH THE FULL CEREMONY:
Honored at Thursday’s ceremony were those who died in 2019 and 2020:
- William L. Brewer Jr., Clermont County Sheriff’s Office
- Jorge R. Del Rio, Dayton Police Department
- Officer Anthony Dia, Toledo Police Department
- Officer Kaia LaFay Grant, Springdale Police Department
- Adam McMillan, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
- James M. Skernivitz, Cleveland Police Department
- Officer Dale J. Woods, Colerain Township Police Department
Last year's ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic. This year's ceremony had limited attendance, but a unifying message from Ohio's top cop.
"We will preserve the name, the memory, the story of your loved one here in this hallowed place forever, and remember the day they were the good guys who came," Yost said.
Next year, Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker's name will be added to the memorial.
There were also three historical inductions during this year’s event:
- Patrolman Charles William Giles, Ironton Police Department, End of Watch: Nov. 26, 1988
- Police Officer Claude McCormick, Oakwood Public Safety Department, End of Watch: Aug. 29, 1933
- Special Policeman William T. Hyatt, Wellsville Police Department, End of Watch: Feb. 25, 1923