State officials in Mississippi held events honoring fallen officers on Tuesday as part of National Police Week.
In the daytime, the Department of Public Safety hosted a memorial ceremony, commemorating the men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty, along with their families.
In the evening, officials held the 15th annual Fallen Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil in downtown Jackson. As part of the vigil, names of fallen officers were read aloud, and their families and loved ones were recognized for the sacrifices they made.
This year, three fallen officers were added to the Fallen Officers Memorial Wall, located off High Street in Jackson, to pay tribute to their service: Michael Griffin, Troy Floyd, and Martin Shields, Jr.
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Griffin, a government affairs liaison and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, died in the line of duty in September 2023 after encountering a car accident involving a partially overturned vehicle, which shifted and fell on top of him. Floyd, a patrolman in Summit, was shot and killed in August 2024 while conducting a checkpoint in Pike County. Shields, a Hinds County deputy, was slain in February while responding to a domestic services call in Terry.
“Today, we honor our fallen heroes who gave their lives in the service to others. We remember their families, their fellow officers, and we remember their lives. May God bless our law enforcement officers,” said Randy Tutor, chief of the Pontotoc Police Department and president of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.
