This year, organizers of the annual Missouri Law Enforcement Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service will hold the traditional ceremonies on April 30 and May 1. The 2021 Candlelight Vigil will be held at the Law Enforcement Memorial on the north side of the State Capitol at approximately 8 p.m. on April 30. The Memorial Service will take place at 10 a.m. on May 1.

The names of eight law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty during 2020 have been added to the memorial’s Wall of Honor in advance of this year’s ceremonies, as well as eight historical names whose line of duty deaths have been confirmed through recent research. In honor of Missouri Law Enforcement Officers, the Missouri State Capitol dome and Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial will be lit blue on Friday

 

2020 Line of Duty Deaths

  • Christopher Ryan Walsh – On March 16, 2020, Springfield Police Department Officer Christopher Ryan Walsh was shot and killed when he and another officer confronted an active shooter at a convenience store.
  • Andy Deric Clark – On June 3, 2020, DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Deric Clark was killed in a vehicle crash near Osborn, Mo. while responding to assist a deputy in an emergency situation.
  • Tamarris L. Bohannon – On Aug. 29, 2020, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon was mortally wounded when he and another officer were ambushed responding to a shooting calling in the Tower Grove South neighborhood. He succumbed to his wound the next day.
  • Rick A. Groves – On Oct. 16, 2020, Kennett Police Department Assistant Chief Rick A. Groves died after contracting COVID-19 as a result of his law enforcement service.
  • Richard Allen Wright – On Nov. 19, 2020, Missouri Department of Corrections Officer Richard Allen Wright died after contracting COVID-19 as a result of his service as a corrections officer.
  • Dwight Eugene Willis – On Nov. 22, 2020, Greene County Sheriff’s Office Detention Officer Dwight Eugene Willis died after contracting COVID-19 as a result of his service as a detention officer.
  • Herschel Turner Jr. – On Dec. 5, 2020, Moline Acres Police Department Sergeant Herschel Turner Jr. and another officer had stopped a stolen vehicle when Sergeant Turner was fatally struck by the vehicle of another officer arriving at the scene to provide assistance.
  • Kendle Glen Blackburn – On Dec. 28, 2020, Lebanon Police Department Patrolman Kendle Glen Blackburn died after contracting COVID-19 as a result of his law enforcement service.