The Fallen Officers Memorial is adorned with flags and roses Thursday afternoon on the Capitol Mall.
Two fallen peace officers were honored Thursday on the Capitol Grounds in Carson City.
Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo, both officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, lost their lives in the line of duty June 8, 2014, after two armed suspects ambushed them in a restaurant. Hundreds of people gathered in Carson City at the memorial to remember the officers. Prior to the ceremony, police officers ran a memorial baton from Las Vegas to Carson City that held the names of all Nevada officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
“We hope this (memorial) brings some solace to the families and loved ones of Beck and Soldo,” retired Henderson Chief of Police Mike Mayberry said. “We hope they find comfort in what we are doing here today.”
Among the attendees to the annual ceremony were Gov. Brian Sandoval and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei. They thanked the families of Beck and Soldo for their service.
“It is a privilege to join you in the state’s capital to memorialize your fallen brothers and sisters,” Gov. Brian Sandoval said to the audience. “But we stand strong as a Nevada family. This calls for us to find the strength in this sacrifice. This memorial serves as a personal reminder of the safety that we enjoy as citizens.”
At the ceremony, Memorial Commissioner Frank Adams introduced the new Memorial Guardians program, where the Carson City Law Enforcement Explorer Post members will maintain the memorial. The Post members are youths interested in careers in law enforcement, and one member was chosen as the new Memorial Guardian who will be in charge of maintaining the fallen officers memorial.
The ceremony consisted of numerous traditions, including the posting of the colors from the Nevada Combined Honor Guard, the 21-gun salute and the riderless horse.
“It is an honor and a privilege for our city to honor this,” Congressman Mark Amodei said. “Their professional memory will live here forever, and we will take good care of them.”
The memorial is up year round for residents to honor, and on the stone holds the names of 128 Nevada law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since 1861 and 2014.