This week, law enforcement agencies from the Pikes Peak region and across the United States are participating in National Police Week.
On May 1, 2026, the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial (CLEM) in Golden, Colorado, formally honored 24 fallen officers — 21 who died in the line of duty in 2024 and 2025, along with three historical line-of-duty deaths that had not previously been engraved on the memorial. These additions brought the total number of names on the memorial to 389.
The 24 individuals include both active-duty and historical officers whose service and sacrifice were recognized for the first time in the memorial’s history.
The Colorado Peace Officers added to the wall in 2026 were:
- Guard Thomas T. Tobin Jr. – Colorado State Prison, July 4, 1899
• Captain William C. Rooney – Colorado State Prison, Jan. 22, 1900
• Inspector Almon P. Frederick – U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Apr. 18, 1910
• Captain John B. Russell – Colorado State Prison, June 19, 1913
• Special Officer James Moore – Trinidad Police Department, Mar. 20, 1922
• Guard Elmer G. Erwin – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 3, 1929
• Guard C. Walter Rinker – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 3, 1929
• Guard Raymond H. Brown – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 3, 1929
• Guard John J. Eeles – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 3, 1929
• Guard Robert A. Wiggins – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 3, 1929
• Guard John W. McClelland – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 4, 1929
• Guard Charles G. Shepherd – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 4, 1929
• Guard Myron H. Goodwin – Colorado State Prison, Oct. 10, 1929
• Officer Victor B. McMillin – Colorado State Prison, Dec. 21, 1961
• Deputy Charles W. Davis – Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Oct. 8, 1972
• Sergeant Marc A. Perse – Colorado Department of Corrections, Aug. 15, 1994
• Sergeant Eric J. Autobee – Colorado Department of Corrections, Oct. 18, 2002
• Sergeant Mary K. Ricard – Colorado Department of Corrections, Sept. 24, 2012
• Chief Dale A. Ruff – Sanford Police Department, Feb. 15, 2018
• Sergeant Joshua E. Voth – Colorado Department of Corrections, Dec. 4, 2019
Yesterday, 363 names of U.S. law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
With these additions, 24,775 peace officers’ names have now been engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement agencies, and campus and military police departments.
The 2026 “Roll Call of Heroes” in Washington, D.C., included:
- 109 officers who died in the line of duty in 2025, including federal, state, tribal, and local officers
- 254 officers from previous years whose names were added after National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund research confirmed their service and line-of-duty deaths
Members of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in events honoring the service and sacrifice of fallen officers.
During the Pikes Peak Regional Peace Officer Memorial ceremony in Colorado Springs, Rachel Swasey Lynch, widow of fallen UCCS Police Officer Garrett Swasey, delivered the keynote address. Her remarks can be read (as written) here.
“During this solemn week, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to their communities,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal.
“Serving as a peace officer demands courage, compassion, humility, and an unwavering commitment to others. The six Coloradans whose names were added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall exemplified those qualities through their service and sacrifice. May they rest in eternal peace.
“I also want to thank Rachel Swasey, widow of fallen UCCS Police Officer Garrett Swasey, for sharing her powerful keynote address and compelling story of mercy, compassion, and strength. Her words were a moving reminder of the lasting impact these heroes leave behind, and the resilience carried by their families.
“I am incredibly proud of our Honor Guard members who traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to represent our Office, as well as those who represented our Office locally, ensuring that those who made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten and that their families are honored with dignity and respect.
“We honor the fallen through the way we serve every day — with integrity, perseverance, and respect for the communities we protect. Their legacy continues to guide and inspire all of us in law enforcement.”
