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Conway Police Department, Faulkner County Sheriff's Office and other police agencies within Faulkner County will gather at Simon Park in Conway at 5:30 p.m. on May 15 to honor fallen officers who have given their lives as the ultimate sacrifice for their family and communities.

Faulkner County Judge Preston Scroggin and Mayor Tab Townsell will read a joint proclamation during the memorial, and each "Fallen Hero" will be honored by the placement of a rose at the base of that officer's photo. The public is invited to attend the memorial.

From the inception of recorded Conway law enforcement in January 1905 to present, CPD has lost three officers in the line of duty. Patrolman Robert W. "Bob" Martin was killed as a result of gunfire while investigating a homicide on March 24, 1981. Patrolman Barry Kent McDaniel was killed as the result of a vehicular assault while directing traffic after a tornado hit the Conway area on April 2, 1982 and Patrolman Lawrence Ray Noblitt was killed as a result of gunfire while investigating the theft of farm equipment on Nov. 7, 1988.

FCSO has also lost three officers in the line of duty. The most recent line of duty death was Detective Jimmy "Jim" Darrel Wooley who died Aug. 5, 2003, as the result of a fall while investigating a theft. Prior to that, FCSO deputy William E. Hathaway was killed by gunfire on Aug. 5, 1931, and FCSO deputy Oscar L. Honea was killed by gunfire on Oct. 23, 1914.

Lt. Danny Moody of CPD said he's known four of the six Faulkner County law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and encourages Conway and Faulkner County citizens to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives while protecting them.

"The profession is not one where we receive a lot of thanks for the sacrifices that we make," he continued. "It's a profession that our society is quick to criticise. While I understand the perceptions, it's hard to understand why we do what we do until you've walked in our shoes."

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers' Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Every year since, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world have gathered at Washington, D.C. to participate in events and memorials which honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice.

During 2007 there were 187 "fallen heroes" nationwide who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and in 2008 to date, 35 "fallen hero" line of duty deaths have been recorded. Arkansas had one "fallen hero" in the line of duty for 2007; the death of Officer Daniel C. Martinez of Fort Smith Police Department on March 23, 2007. Officer Martinez' cause of death was gunfire. Arkansas has one "fallen hero" in the line of duty for 2008, Arkansas State Police Sergeant Richard C. LeBow on Feb. 4, 2008. Sergeant LeBow was killed in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer on I-40 near Mulberry.

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