Brass plaques honor the nine fallen police officers, killed in the line of duty, in Chester County, near the old county courthouse.
WEST CHESTER — Chester County’s nine fallen police officers range from two members of the Kennett Square force who were fatally ambushed in 1972 by a key operative in the notorious Johnston Brothers gang to the sheriff fatally struck by a milk-delivery train on his way to Phoenixville to serve court orders in 1887.
Members of law enforcement, who are committed to keeping the memory of their fallen comrades alive, are inviting the public to share in their annual tribute. Chester County’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 11 will hold its 2012 memorial service on Thursday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lodge headquarters at 218 N. Church St., West Chester.
The event, which will include a presentation by the Sheriff’s Honor Guard as well as the Emerald Society Pipe Band, typically lasts about a half hour. Speakers will include Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan, FOP president Les Neri, and Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh. Officers will be available before and after the ceremony for questions or conversation, organizers said.
Bronze plaques commemorating the service of the nine officers are permanently displayed on the lawn in front of the Market Street side of the historic courthouse in West Chester.
