The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office held their annual Peace Officers Memorial Service on Thursday, May 18th to honor officers in the state of Minnesota that gave their lives in the line of duty.

The event is held every May during National Police Week, which sees law enforcement officers across the country honored for their sacrifices. Several community members attended and spoke at the memorial event to showcase their support for local officers.

“Nobody really wants to think about those kinds of things in the past, but I think it’s important to never forget those people and being a part of a memorial service really brings it home every year,” said Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs. “And I think that’s important for us to never forget that part of this job is that it’s always there. And these people are important to not forget.”

According to event organizers, 2022 alone saw a total of 246 line of duty deaths across the country.

By — Justin Othoudt