The family of the late John A. Chapman, a former LAPD sergeant, who passed away in March, participated in the LAPD law enforcement memorial Tuesday at the Los Alamos Justice Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Placing a thin blue line of tape on a vehicle Tuesday at the Los Alamos Justice Center in honor of those who serve in law enforcement, are, from left, Elizabeth Lyon, wife of Det. Matt Lyon, Kateri Morris, wife of Cmdr. Oliver Morris, and Kim Roberts, wife of Sgt. Daniel Roberts. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Police Sgt. Daniel Roberts emcees the LAPD annual law enforcement memorial event Tuesday at the Los Alamos Justice Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Chief of Police Dino Sgambellone, left, and Sgt. Daniel Roberts ‘supervise’ Kim Robers as she places a thin blue line on Chief Sgambellone’s vehicle. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Councilor David Izraelevitz waits as, from left, Elizabeth Lyon, Kim Roberts and Kateri Morris, wives of LAPD officers, place a thin blue line on the rear window of his vehicle. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Chief of Police Dino Sgambellone chats with PO3 Nikolai Cooper, U.S. Coast Guard, and Los Alamos High School alumnus A1C Danae Nielsen, U.S. Air Force, Tuesday following the LAPD law enforcement memorial service. Nielsen’s ‘honorary aunt’ since third grade is Maire O’Neill of the Los Alamos Reporter. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Greeting the public and selling swag to raise funds for the Law Enforcement Special Olympics Run were, back row, left to right, Cpl. John Schwettman, Chief Dino Sgambellone and Sgt. Daniel Roberts. Front row: Kim Roberts, Kateri Morris and Elizabeth Lyon. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Police Cmdr. Oliver Morris presents a rubbing of the name of late John Chapman from the memorial plaque outside the Justice Center to Chapman’s wife, Clara, during the LAPD law enforcement memorial ceremony Tuesday morning at the Los Alamos Justice Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Police Officers raise the flag Tuesday morning outside the Los Alamos Justice Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
The family of the late retired LAPD Sgt. John A. Chapman pay their respects Tuesday morning at the law enforcement memorial plaque outside the Los Alamos Justice Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
LAPD Chief Dino Sgambellone escorts Clara Chapman to the memorial plaque where her late husband, retired LAPD Sgt. John A. Chapman’s name is inscribed. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos Police Officers participate in Tuesday morning’s law enforcement memorial service. Pictured are, from left, Deputy Chief Jason Wardlow Herrera, Cmdr. Oliver Morris, Sgt. Chris Ross, Cpl. John Harris, Cpl. John Schwettman, Det. Sgt. James Rodriguez, Det. Matt Lyon, Det. Ryan Wolking and Cpl. Samantha Terrazas. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County elected officials, County staff and members of the community attended the Los Alamos Police Department’s annual law enforcement memorial Tuesday morning at the Los Alamos Justice Center.
Chief of Police Dino Sgambellone thanked the crowd for coming to honor those who have died in the line of duty.
“We remember their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families,” he said.
Sgambellone said there are currently more than 21,000 names of officers killed in the line of duty inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC. He said representing those officers killed in the line of duty in 2018, 163 names will be added to the memorial.
“These fatalities include 52 that were killed by gunfire, another 27 killed by 9-11 related illnesses,” he said.
Sgambellone said no officers were killed in New Mexico in 2018. He said as of Tuesday morning, 42 officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States this year.
“Each and every day brave men and women in law enforcement put themselves at risk to keep our society free from crime,” Sgambellone said. “Most return home but some are called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. We know that without their courage there would be no safety.”
During the ceremony, LAPD honored John Chapman of White Rock who passed away Mar. 23 at the age of 89. Chapman joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served in China and in the Korean War. In 1956 he joined the Los Alamos Police Department. He later went to work at Los Alamos National Laboratory but returned to LAPD and retired in 1988 as a sergeant.
Chapman’s wife, Clara, was present at the ceremony along with other family members. Clara Chapman was presented with a rubbing of her late husband’s name from the LAPD memorial plaque by Cmdr. Oliver Morris.