Police remember Charleston’s fallen officers at annual ceremony

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The Charleston Police Department hosted their annual “Remember the Fallen” ceremony Friday to memorialize the 21 Charleston Police officers who have been shot and killed in the line of duty.

Police Chief Luther Reynolds said this ceremony is humbling because each officer knows one day it could be them.

Every year the officers gather for a time of prayer and remembrance to honor their fallen brothers on the force.

This year, officers say the feeling at the ceremony was far more humbling than in year’s past because May is the 20-year anniversary of one of the officer’s deaths. Perrin “Rick” Love died in May 1999, and his mother attended the service Friday to pay her respects. She said her son’s ashes are buried at sea, so the Fallen Officers Memorial at Brittlebank Park is all she has.

“It seems like yesterday even though we know how long ago it was. Time totally changes,” Betsy Love, Perrin Love’s mother, said.

Love was invited to light the Memorial Candle during the ceremony. The candle will be kept burning through May 21, marking the twentieth anniversary of her son’s death.

Love says her son's death was devastating, but the pain continues as she sees each officer involved shooting across the country

“We flinch every time, we flinch, we feel badly for those families,” she said.

Officers say they’re serving at a time where police across the country are being targeted just for doing their jobs.

Reynolds said seeing the names carved into the memorial reminds everyone just how fragile life is when you work in law enforcement.

“To know that that can happen that suddenly is troubling. We have to pause and think about it every year,” Reynolds said.

Officers say they fear the day another name is carved into this memorial, but they signed up to serve, so that is exactly what they plan to do.

“It’s an honor to be a police officer in this country and in the City of Charleston,” Charleston Police Lt. Shyla Murray said. “Unfortunately, I’ve been to way too many police funerals every year. We hope we don’t have to bury another officer and every year it happens.”

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