SALEM, OR -- The name of a Bend Police officer was etched on to the state’s Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Wednesday, during an engraving ceremony in Salem. Bend PD’s Honor Guard stood watch (pictured above) as Sgt. John Lawrence was added. He suffered a fatal heart attack, in December 2014, following a shift in which he responded to a bank robbery. His death is considered “in the line of duty” because the heart attack occurred less than 24 hours after engaging in an on-duty situation. Lawrence was a 10 year veteran of the department.
A formal memorial scheduled for May 7th will honor all four names added to the monument this year. In addition to Sgt. Lawrence, Ashland Police Officer Malcus Williams - who suffered a fatal medical event while on a call in March 2018, Multnomah County Deputies Irving Burkett and Robert Ray "Bobby" Anderson were also added. Anderson was shot by a suspect in 1969 and was forced to retire; Burkett was shot during a jailbreak attempt in 1982 and also retired as a result of his injuries. The four join Oregon's 183 other law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since the 1880s.