Annual tribute to fallen law enforcement officers on Oct. 6

The public is invited to a memorial and tribute service – including a candlelight vigil for 18 fallen law enforcement officers who lived, or served, in Prince William County in the past 99 years – will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Government Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge.

This annual event – which is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Prince William County Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association – honors the lives and service of the 18 men and women who lived, or served, in Prince William County and died in the line of duty.

They are:
• Justice of the Peace Thomas Simms Meredith, Prince William County Circuit Court – July 1922
• Trooper Jackie M. Bussard, Virginia State Police – May 1970
• Officer Paul T. White Jr., Prince William County Police – October 1973
• Investigator Claude Everett Seymour, Virginia State Police – April 1975
• Trooper Johnny R. Bowman, Virginia State Police – August 1984
• Sergeant John D. Conner III, Manassas City Police – July 1988
• Officer Phillip M. Pennington, Prince William County Police – November 1990
• Trooper Jose M. Cavazos, Virginia State Police – February 1993
• Special Agent William H. Christian Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation – May 1995
• Detective John M. Gibson, United States Capitol Police – July 1998
• Officer Marlon E. Morales, Metro Transit Police – June 2001
• Special Agent Robert Martin Roth, Federal Bureau of Investigation – March 2008
• Second Lt. Francis Joseph Stecco, Fairfax County Police – October 2008
• Special Agent Chad L. Michael, Drug Enforcement Administration – October 2009
• Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon, Drug Enforcement Administration – October 2009
• Officer Paul Michael Dittamo, Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police – October 2010
• Officer Chris Yung, Prince William County Police – December 2012
• Officer Ashley M. Guindon, Prince William County Police – February 2016