While Tuesday was a sunny day in downtown Dallas, it was also a day for reflection as police officers, family members, friends, and city officials gathered at the Dallas Police Memorial to remember DPD officers lost in the line of duty.
The Dallas Express was on hand to witness the somber memorial service. The event started with a march from the intersection of Griffin and Young Street to the Police Memorial at 500 S. Akard Street.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia, members of the Police Department, Mayor Eric Johnson, and the Dallas City Council were escorted to the memorial by a pair of officers from the motorcycle brigade.
Police Memorial Day is an annual event to recognize and honor the police officers who lost their lives while protecting and serving others.
Mayor Johnson addressed the crowd, saying, “The primary responsibility of city government is to protect its citizens. … Without an environment in which residents feel secure, our city’s other objectives are irrelevant.”
“We should and we must continue to leverage every available tool that we have to achieve our goal of becoming the safest large city in America,” Johnson continued.
Moments after Mayor Johnson’s remarks, Police Chief Eddie Garcia delivered a heartfelt speech about the men and women under his leadership and the officers the DPD has lost.
The Memorial service concluded with a reading of the names of all the Dallas Police Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, followed by a 21-gun salute.
After the ceremony, Garcia spoke to reporters about the importance of remembering and honoring officers who make the ultimate sacrifice.
“I always tell our rank and file, you know, go out there and win your day. We make them immortal as they look down on us today. They’re proud of this department, we want to continue to make them proud,” said Garcia.
The conversation shifted to addressing the criminal element in Dallas as the department has continued to battle crime and its violent offenders.
“We’re going to be as constant as the Northern Star. We’re not going to give up. These men and women don’t know the words to give up,” said Garcia.” For the criminal element, please do not mistake kindness for weakness. This department is strong; we’re not going anywhere.
“We’ve felt adversity, and we get up and move on. We will never forget our fallen, and the work that we do in defense of this city is to honor the members of this department that gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Garcia said.
Cynthia Ruiz, the wife of fallen officer David Ruiz, spoke to The Dallas Express and reporters about her late husband and how she gets through the day.
“Lots of prayer, lots of prayer,” Ruiz said. “It’s only through Jesus Christ that I’ve been able to make it through the last year and a half. This gives me strength.”
Videos of the march to the memorial can be found here.
