If you hear the crack of gunfire echoing across the Capitol Campus early on the afternoon of Friday, May 3, don’t be alarmed: It’s part of the annual ceremony at the Law Enforcement Memorial in honor of those officers who have given their lives to serve Washington.
The ceremony, scheduled for 1-3 p.m. at the memorial site north of the Temple of Justice, includes a 21-gun salute, and the rifle officers will practice the salute beforehand behind the General Administration Building.
Organizers expect as many as 500 people to attend the ceremony, which pays tribute to the more than 275 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since Washington territorial days in the mid-19th century.
The memorial, financed by a nonprofit foundation, was dedicated in 2006. It is maintained by the state treasurer’s commemorative works account, which was created by the Legislature in 2005 under House Bill 1007, sponsored by Rep. Sam Hunt of Olympia.