Thousands gathered in Sacramento May 6 for the 46th annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony, where eight fallen officers were honored and their names added to the Memorial Monument.
The ceremony not only formally enrolls peace officers who died in the line of duty in recent years but also pays tribute to the over 1,600 who have since California became a state in 1850.
“These officers served with resilience and resolve, prioritizing the needs of others above their own. They exemplified courage in its purest form. We honor them by remembering their names and by drawing strength in our own lives from how they lived,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
Led by bagpipes, grieving families—along with law enforcement representatives from various agencies riding on horseback and motorcycles—marched from the state capitol to the nearby monument.
There, a ceremony was conducted to add the names of newly enrolled officers to the memorial.
Among the eight fallen officers honored are three from the Los Angeles Police Department: Officer Philip T. Sudario, Sgt. Patricia Elena Guillen, and Sgt. Anthony Ray White, all of whom died in 2021.
Additionally, four officers who died in 2023 were remembered: Deputy Darnell Andrew Calhoun from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. from the Selma Police Department, Deputy Ryan M. Clinkunbroomer from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Officer Tuan Q. Le from the Oakland Police Department.
The final officer remembered was Detective Donald A. Mason from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, who died in 1959.
The ceremony also featured poignant symbols including a riderless horse representing those lost, the solemn folding of the United States flag, the release of doves, and culminated with a 21-gun salute followed by the playing of Taps, according to the governor’s office.
