UTSA Downtown Campus ceremony honors fallen police officers

L-R: Police Officer Charles Lopez salutes his fallen camrades, Honor Guard marching, UTSA Public Affairs Specialist James Benevides, Invocator Fr. Jimmy Drinian, Univision-41 Photogrpaher John Meyer interviews Officer David Hernandez, members of the Honor Guard, crowd, program, memorabilia, podium, UTSA Downtown Campus

San Antonio and Bexar County-area law enforcement agencies gathered at the UTSA Downtown Campus to observe Police Officers Memorial Day, Wednesday, May 14th. The ceremony included presentation of the colors, roll call for the absent and a wreath presentation.

The Police Officers Memorial Day ceremony brings together all branches of San Antonio's law enforcement community, including local police, special jurisdictions such as college campus police and park police; military police and federal agencies including ATF, DEA, FBI, Secret Service and United States Marshals.

National Police Officers Memorial Day began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy designated the week encompassing May 15 as National Police Week. Every 57 hours, a law enforcement officer gives up his or her life in the line of duty. In 2007, Texas lost 22 law enforcement officers. Since 1963, 29 university police officers nationwide have died in the line of duty protecting college campuses.