The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Chattanooga Police Department, will host the 2016 Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony to honor the deputies and police officers from the community who have fallen in the line of service and their survivors.
This year’s program will take place on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Law Enforcement Memorial, 600 Market St. The key note speaker will be U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Tim White.
Officer James Marvin Wallen, Jr., will be added to the wall.
He was a Hamilton County Park Ranger.
Ranger Wallen was involved in a traffic accident many years ago while on duty and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He spent the rest of his life in a specialized care facility due to his injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on October 25, 2015.
"On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 61 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 20,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.
"During this time, local law enforcement agencies, elected officials, members of the community, and business leaders will take time to honor the sacrifice of our community’s law enforcement personnel, particularly those who have given the ultimate sacrifice," officials said.