273 officers added to Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Thousands of police officers will be gathering in D.C. for a special candlelight vigil honoring 273 men and women whose names are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The event, which will be held Wednesday night in Judiciary Square, is part of National Police Week. Other activities continue through Saturday. According to organizers, the newly added names include 117 officers killed in the line of duty in 2014 and 156 who were killed in prior years. Currently, there are 20,538 names on the Memorial. Designed by architect Davis Buckley, the monument includes a reflecting pool and two curving, blue-gray marble walls, each about 304 feet long. The names of the fallen are carved on the walls, dating to the first known death back in 1791. At the current rate at which names are being added, the Memorial walls are expected to be completely filled by the year 2050.