Congressman Chuck Edwards: 47 police officers have fallen in NC-11 since 1906
National Police Week honors past and present law enforcement officers.
National Police Week is an annual event in the United States that pays tribute to the dedication, sacrifice, and service of law enforcement officers nationwide. It is a time to honor the individuals who put their lives on the line to protect their communities. In western North Carolina, National Police Week holds special importance as it brings together local communities, law enforcement agencies, and families to commemorate the fallen, celebrate the living, and strengthen the bond between officers and civilians.
Republican Chuck Edwards was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 to represent North Carolina’s 11th Congressional district, which covers 15 counties in the state’s Blue Ridge mountains, including the western part of Rutherford County. He defeated Madison Cawthorn in the primary. The other half of Rutherford County is served by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10). “In western North Carolina, we honor, not defund, our law enforcement officers,” Rep. Edwards said this week.
“Since 1906, 47 courageous police officers have fallen in North Carolina’s 11th district,” Rep. Edwards said. “This week is National Police Week where citizens across the country gather to honor and remember law enforcement officers of past and present. We need our law enforcement now more than ever and we must never stop backing the men and women in blue who protect us.”
Many local police departments in western North Carolina hold their own memorial services to honor fallen officers from their respective jurisdictions. These events provide an opportunity for the community to come together and express their support for law enforcement, while also offering solace to the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office live-streamed their memorial service on Thursday. Nearly 550 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in North Carolina, according to the state’s Peace Officers Memorial. North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper John Horton was killed in the line of duty last year in Rutherford County.
The N.C. Department of Public Safety had a more hopeful message this week on Facebook. They said, “We honor and thank our North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers. SHP troopers enforce the state's traffic laws, guide traffic during hurricane evacuations, re-route traffic around hazardous chemical spills, and they stand ready, should any act of terrorism occur. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol's primary mission is to reduce collisions and make the highways of North Carolina as safe as possible.”
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said, “In observance of National Police Week, we honor Rutherford County Sheriff's Office Deputies & all peace officers across the United States who made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives while serving and protecting their communities. We also recognize the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, Forest City PD, Lake Lure PD, Rutherfordton PD, Spindale PD, NC State Highway Patrol, NC Wildlife, NC Parks and Recreation, NC Probation and Parole, and all of our federal partners.”
According to the FBI’s recent release of statistics, 118 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2022. So far in 2023, 22 law enforcement officers have died.
Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement community, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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About Annie Dance
Annie Dance has been a journalist for over 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Journalism from Manhattan College. She completed 42 credits for a Master of Arts in Communication degree at Fairfield University. She has been published in local, national, and international publications, including Hearst newspapers and websites, CTInsider.com, NewsTimes.com, and others. She is the Founding Editor of Western NC Deaf Community, a public Facebook group, where she covers deaf issues and leads discussions for ways deaf people can get better access to news and information in the 19 counties of western North Carolina. She was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss as a child and is an accessibility advocate, especially for the use of closed captioning.
Dance has experience in government affairs, media, and public policy. She is a registered unaffiliated voter and strives for fairness, truth, and accuracy.
Dance has family roots in Raleigh. She served on local and state commissions in Connecticut for several years prior to moving to Rutherford County, North Carolina in 2020. She worked on local, state, and federal Republican candidates’ campaigns, including Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.
She aims to shine a light on important issues and hold officials accountable with Cops & Congress.