Law enforcement personnel gathered in Grand Island Friday for a ceremony at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial. It was part of the annual National Police Week.
The Memorial honors those who died in the line of duty.
This year, the name of Reserve Deputy Kevin Patrick Kennedy, Junior of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was added to the memorial. He served for more than 20 years and died in 2020 from complications of COVID that he contracted while on duty.
His daughter. Mary Ellen Kennedy, spoke at the ceremony.
"When I was in Washington, DC this last week for the Law Enforcement Memorial, they constantly reminded us all that it's not how they died, it's how they lived," she said. "But, I sincerely know that even my dad would challenge that. It is how they continue to live, and by that, it's how we strive to pick up where they left off. Their lives continue to run through us."
Her speech was provided by the Nebraska State Patrol. There are now 142 names on the Memorial.