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'We will never forget their heroism' | Gov. Abbott, law enforcement honor fallen Texas officers with Austin ceremony, vigil

Gov. Greg Abbott delivered the keynote address and presented medals and resolutions to the surviving family members.

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott, other lawmakers and law enforcement gathered Sunday to honor fallen Texas officers in a memorial. 

The "Texas Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony" was held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at House Park in Austin. The ceremony was held to honor Texas officers who died in the line of duty in 2019 and 2020.

The event began with a law enforcement procession along Shoal Creek Boulevard, which then led into the ceremony at House Park Field, and concluded with a candlelight vigil.

Here is a list of all of the Texas officers being honored:

  • Christopher David Murray, Frisco Police Department
  • Norman D. Merkel, US Marshal’s Service
  • Ray E. Horn, III, Comal County Sheriff’s Office
  • Russell Dean “Rusty” Salazar, Kendall County
    Community Supervision and Corrections Department
  • Donna Marie Moss, US Customs and Border Protection
  • Nathan Hayden Heidelberg, Midland Police Department
  • Albert “AJ” Castaneda, Jr., Grand Prairie Police Department
  • David Jones Fitzpatrick, The Colony Police Department
  • Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta, Jr., Mission Police Department
  • Carlos A. Ramirez, Kendall County Sheriff’s Office
  • Jose Luis Blancarte, Kinney County Sheriff’s Office
  • Moises Sanchez, Texas Dept. of Public Safety
  • Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
  • Matthew Ryan Jones, Falls County Sheriff’s Office
  • Christopher Charles Lewis Brewster, Houston Police Department
  • Kaila Marie Sullivan, Nassau Bay Police Department
  • Bryan Charles Pfluger, San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office
  • Clifton J. Martinez, San Antonio ISD Police Department
  • William Christopher Dickerson, Panola County Sheriff’s Office
  • Nicholas Lee Reyna, Lubbock Police Department
  • Alan Daniel McCollum, Corpus Christi Police Department
  • Richard E. Whitten, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
  • Christopher Scott Korzilius, Travis County Sheriff’s Office
  • Amanda L. De Leon, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • Justin Read Putnam, San Marcos Police Department
  • Jonathon Keith Goodman, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • Akbar N. Shabazz, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • John Andrew Rhoden, Bell County Sheriff’s Office
  • Coy D. Coffman, Jr., Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • James D. Coleman, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • Jason M. Knox, Houston Police Department
  • Caleb Daniel Rule, Fort Bend County Constable’s Office, Precinct 4
  • Ismael Z. Chavez, McAllen Police Department
  • Edelmiro Garza, Jr., McAllen Police Department
  • N. Kyle Coleman, Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office
  • Sheena Dae Yarbrough-Powell, Beaumont Police Department
  • Walterio Rodriguez, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • James W. Weston, Jr., Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  • Peter John Herrera, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lemuel Delray “DJ” Bruce, Jr., Houston Fire Marshal’s Office
  • Harold Lloyd Preston, Houston Police Department
  • Sean Sebastian Rios, Houston Police Department
  • M. Wayne Rhodes, Denton County Constable’s Office, Precinct 2

Abbott delivered the keynote address at the event.

"These courageous men and women ... they gave their lives for a reason and that's so that all of us could be safe," Abbott said. "And I can assure you ... we will never forget their heroism."

Abbott also presented medals and resolutions to family members of those fallen officers.

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