Arlington County held its annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day this morning.
The ceremony took place at 8:00 p.m. in the plaza between police headquarters and the county jail. Arlington police officers and sheriff’s deputies were joined by county officials and law enforcement personnel from surrounding jurisdictions in remembering the six Arlington County police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Those officers are:
- Special Police Officer Louis Shaw, killed on Dec. 6, 1935 when his vehicle was struck by a fuel tanker and burst into flames. A prisoner in the vehicle was also killed.
- Detective Russell Pettie, shot and killed on Jan. 20, 1954 while executing a search warrant.
- Officer Arthur Chorovich, fatally injured on Dec. 5, 1964 when his police motorcycle was struck by a vehicle.
- Officer Israel Gonzalez, shot and killed on Oct. 25, 1972 during a bank robbery in Crystal City.
- Officer George Pomraning, Jr., shot and killed on Sept. 2, 1973 while transporting a prisoner. The prisoner pulled a gun out of his boot while in the backseat of a police car and shot Pomraning several times.
- Officer John Buckley, shot and killed on April 15, 1977 during a bank robbery.
Among those who spoke at the ceremony were County Board Vice Chairman Mary Hynes, Sheriff Beth Arthur, Arlington County Civic Federation President Michael McMenamin, and Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “Taps” was performed by members of the police department and sheriff’s office. “Amazing Grace” was also performed, by bagpipers from the Arlington County Police Department and the U.S. Border Patrol Pipe and Drum Band.
