The Yolo County Retired Peace Officers Association will hold its annual memorial event honoring fallen officers at noon on Thursday, May 16 at the Peace Officers Memorial monument located on the grounds of the old historic courthouse located at 725 Court St.

Follwoing the ceremony, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office will hold its Annual Walk to Remember. The walk begins at the monument and winds through the city of Woodland. The route is about a mile long and ends in downtown Woodland’s Heritage Plaza. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend both the memorial event and the walk.

The event is part of National Police Week, which honors officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

National Police Week has evolved over the years. What began as a Memorial Service attended by 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement has evolved into a weeks-long event that gives survivors and other supporters an opportunity to come together and honor those law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

Originating in 1962 with President John F. Kennedy signing a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, the week-long event held in Washington D.C. hosts thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated in October 1991, the Memorial honors over 23,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people since the first known Line of Duty death in 1786.

The California Peace Officer Memorial, located at 10th Street and Capitol Mall in Sacramento, was unveiled in May 1988, as a memorial for these California officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Yolo County Retired Peace Officers Association spearheaded the effort to erect a memorial for fallen law enforcement officers. This effort led to the unveiling of the memorial in 2013 on the grounds of the old historical Yolo County Superior Courthouse.

Yolo County has lost 12 of its community protectors since 1912. Most recently, the murder of Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona occurred on January 10, 2019.

The following Yolo County Peace Officers are listed as officers who have died in the line of duty, the date of their End of Watch, and how they died.

California Highway Patrol

Officer Andrew Stevens EOW: Nov. 17, 2005 Cause: Gunfire

Sergeant Gary Wagers EOW: March 15, 2001 Cause: Vehicle Collision

Officer William Freeman EOW: Dec. 22, 1978 Cause: Gunfire

Officer Roy Blecher EOW: Dec. 22, 1978 Cause: Gunfire

Officer Ivan Casselman EOW: Aug. 24, 1935 Cause: Motorcycle Collision

Yolo County Sheriff’s Office

Deputy Jose “Tony” Diaz EOW: June 15, 2008 Cause: Gunfire

Deputy Walter Leinberger EOW: Nov. 18, 1943 Cause: Gunfire

Winters Police Department

City Marshall William Rice EOW: Oct. 18, 1912 Cause: Gunfire

West Sacramento Police Department

Officer James McKnight EOW: June 16, 1990 Cause: Gunfire

Davis Police Department

Officer Natalie Corona EOW: Jan. 10, 2019 Cause: Gunfire

Officer Douglas Cantrill EOW: Sept. 7, 1959 Cause: Gunfire

Woodland Police Department

Officer Lawrence Sills EOW: June 13, 1945 Cause: Motorcycle Collision