Pensacola police honor fallen officer with Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) -It’s a yearly tradition for the Pensacola Police Department. Honoring those who lost their lives while protecting the community.

“The character that these officers exhibited is something we should all aspire to live by each day,” said Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall.

It’s all part of national police week. Members of the police department were joined by other law enforcement agencies like the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office as well as representatives from NAS Pensacola.

“They care and we appreciate them taking time out of their day to help us honor the fallen,” said Officer Mike Wood.

One by one, 16 officers who paid the ultimate price had their names read while officers placed a rose on the memorial. Some family members representing the fallen officers joined them to pay respect to their loved ones.

“He cared about the public and took time to talk to people. It shows the ultimate sacrifice of the officers and the job they’ve done,” said Keith Cross, son of Officer Amos Cross.

Having the families at these ceremonies means a lot to both them and the department as the honor their legacies and share those stories with the next generation.

“We want to make sure that they understand that we will never ever forget about their loved ones who paid the ultimate price,” said Officer Wood.

“It means I can come see him being represented, be here to honor his legacy and be able to talk to my kids, my grandkids, nieces and nephews about him also,” said Cross.

Pensacola Police also announced that part of Bayfront Parkway has been designated as Pensacola Police Fallen Heroes Memorial Parkway and they plan on having a ceremony to dedicate that part of the road in the near future.

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