(LONDON, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and law enforcement officers from throughout the state gathered today for the annual Ohio Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony to honor the 770 Ohio peace officers who have died in the line of duty since 1823.
"Today, we not only honor those who died in 2015, but we also remember the hundreds of Ohio law enforcement officers before them who sacrificed their lives to protect Ohio families," said Attorney General DeWine. "It is important that these officers are always remembered for their courage and their dedication."
Among those honored today include three officers who died in 2015:
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Deputy Michael A. Brandle started his career as an officer in Amsterdam, Ohio, quickly making his way to chief. He then moved on to be an officer for the Wellsville Police Department. He started working at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in 2005, and during his time there, he served as a deputy, corrections officer, dispatcher, resource officer for Edison High School, and member of the Special Response Team. On May 21, 2015, he suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in sniper training.
During his 27 years with the Cincinnati Police Department, Officer Sonny L. Kim's personnel file was filled with commendations praising his professionalism, dedication, and selflessness. Officer Kim, 48, was working overtime on the morning of June 19, 2015, when he responded to a call about a man with a gun on a residential street. Kim arrived and was approached by the man's mother, who was trying to tell the officer that she didn't think her son was armed. The officer drew his Taser, but the suspect pulled a gun. Kim discarded his Taser and drew his gun. Both men fired, and Kim was mortally wounded by a bullet that breached his body armor. The suspect took Kim's service weapon and began shooting at a Hamilton County probation officer and another Cincinnati officer who arrived at the scene. That police officer shot and killed the suspect.
In 2000, Officer Nathan J. Van Oort Sr. joined the Ohio University Police Department as a communication officer and was later hired as a police officer in 2002. In January 2006, he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq as a member of the Ohio Army National Guard. On June 22, 2006, Officer Van Oort was taking part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics. When torch run participants were eating lunch at a pavilion near Logan, a bolt of lightning struck the shelter, injuring four people - Van Oort seriously. Officer Van Oort, 53, died on November 7, 2015, from the injuries he received more than nine years earlier.
Also honored was Detective Alfred Knight, 25, of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department. Knight was recently nominated for induction to the memorial after research discovered that he had made the ultimate sacrifice for his community nearly 90 years ago. Detective Knight, of Dayton, was shot and killed in a gun battle on September 15, 1927. Knight and his partner were checking the boxcars of a train bound from Cincinnati to Detroit when they found three men riding in one of the cars. They ordered the men out, but one of the trespassers pulled a gun and began shooting. Knight was shot twice and died.
The names of the fallen officers honored today have been added to the Ohio Fallen Officers' Memorial Wall, which stands as a lasting tribute to Ohio's 770 officers who gave their lives for their communities since 1823. The wall is located at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London, Ohio, where today's ceremony was held.
A moment of silence was also observed for Danville Police Officer Thomas Cottrell and Columbus Police Officer Steven Smith, who were killed in the line of duty in 2016. Cottrell and Smith will be formally honored during the 2017 ceremony.
In addition, this was the first year that K-9s have been recognized as part of the Ohio Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony. The names of K-9 Falko of the Toledo Police Department, K-9 Andy of the Vermilion Police Department, K-9 Bungee of the New Albany Police Department, K-9 Cero of the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office, and K-9 Bandit of the Cincinnati Police Department have been added to a plaque that will be displayed inside the academy. Canton Police Department K-9 Jethro, who was killed in January, will be formally honored next year.
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