Remembering CA Officers Who Died In 2021: National Police Week

CALIFORNIA — The biggest effect the coronavirus pandemic had on National Police Week isn't that activities in California and elsewhere have been postponed, but the number of police officers whose lives and careers were cut short by the virus.

While their names won’t be read at the National Police Officers’ Memorial Service until its Oct. 16 rescheduled date, they will be honored virtually during National Police Week from May 9-16 this year.

The coronavirus has been cited for six police officer line of duty deaths in California in 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Nationally, 63 of the 119 police line of duty deaths in 2021 as of May 4, just under 53 percent, have been due to the virus.

COVID-19 caused 234 of the 362 line of duty deaths nationwide in 2020. Before the virus, 150 active police officers died across the United States throughout 2019.

This year, 10 police officers in California died while on duty, including the virus-related deaths. They were:

• Border Patrol Agent Alejandro Flores-Bañuelos, United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, U.S.
  • End of watch: March 15
  • Cause of death: Struck by vehicle
• Officer Crispin San Juan San Jose, United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border
  • End of watch: March 9
  • Cause of death: COVID-19
• Police Officer II Jose Anzora, Los Angeles Police Department
  • End of watch: March 3
  • Cause of death: Struck by vehicle
• Deputy Sheriff Thomas Albanese, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
  • End of watch: Feb. 25
  • Cause of death: Motorcycle crash
• Sgt. Richard Paul Brown, Fresno Police Department
  • End of watch: Feb. 17
  • Cause of death: COVID-19
• Officer Genaro Guerrero, United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, U.S.
  • End of watch: Feb. 15
  • Cause of death: COVID-19
• Deputy Sheriff II Frank Gonzalez Holguin, III, Tulare County Sheriff's Office
  • End of watch: Jan. 27
  • Cause of death: COVID-19
• Lieutenant Frank Arnold, California Department of Developmental Services - Office of Protective Services
  • End of watch: Jan. 22
  • Cause of death: COVID-19
• Deputy Sheriff Adam Gibson, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
  • End of watch: Jan. 18
  • Cause of death: Gunfire
• Lt. John Reynolds, Garden Grove Police Department
  • End of watch: Jan. 17
  • Cause of death: COVID-19

After the coronavirus, shootings have caused the most police line of duty deaths nationally, as “gunfire” was cited by the Officer Down Memorial Page in 19. Nine police officers died by “vehicular assault,” seven in car crashes and six were fatally hit by a car.

President John F. Kennedy in 1962 designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week as Police Week. The Memorial Service began 20 years later with about 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement gathering in Senate Park, according to the event’s website.

Since then, before the pandemic it had grown to attract up to 40,000 attendees every year.

The National Police Week schedule features a series of events, including seminars and a candlelight vigil. Due to the coronavirus, the candlelight vigil has been put off to Oct. 14, and the national police survivors conference to Oct. 15.