GPD to hold police memorial Wednesday

Published 5:24 pm Friday, May 12, 2017

One of the unfortunate realities facing law enforcement is that officers occasionally fall in the line of duty.

Wednesday, the Greenville Police Department will be honoring those sacrifices with its annual memorial service, held at the LBW Community College Wendell Mitchell Center at noon.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event will be Steve Marshall, the recently appointed 48th Attorney General of Alabama.

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Marshall was appointed by former Alabama governor Robert Bentley to fill the vacancy caused by previous attorney general Luther Strange’s appointment to the United States Senate.

Before serving in his current role, Marshall served as district attorney of Marshall County for 16 years.

The event will feature a main ceremony as well as a period reserved for honoring fallen officers.  In years past, the Greenville Police Department honored officers George Bryan, Joe Herring and Gary Wayne Heath.  In 2016, the department held a centennial honor service for W.G. Daniel, who was killed in the line of duty in 1916.

In addition to recognizing officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, the ceremony will also offer a chance to honor the service of the department’s current officers.

The Greenville Police Department will present its coveted Officer of the Year award, and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office will likewise acknowledge its Deputy of the Year.

Lunch, provided by Nanny’s Fine Dining with the assistance of Lil Pouncey, Gloria Moorer, Christy Brack and Bethany Anderson, will be held following the ceremony.

The memorial service is open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.

Reservations for lunch must be reserved in advance.  For more information, call Christy Brack at the Greenville Police Department at 334-382-7461 by noon Monday.