Maryland Fallen Heroes Day Honors 4 Officers

TIMONIUM, MD – First responders from across the state paid tribute to those who have died in the line of duty during a Friday afternoon ceremony that organizers say is the only event of its kind in the nation.

At 1 p.m. on Friday, the 31st annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony was ushered in by more than 20 Maryland honor guard units, bagpipers, police on motorcycles and mounted officers at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

Since the 2015 Fallen Heroes Day, there have been four killed in the line of duty whose families were honored at this year's ceremony. Organizers said that Firefighter-Paramedic John Ulmschneider, who died in the line of duty on April 15, 2016, would be honored at the 2017 ceremony to allow his family to grieve and prepare funeral arrangements.

Maryland’s 2016 Fallen Heroes

Police Officer III Noah Leotta of the Montgomery County Police Department died on Dec. 10, 2015, one week after he was hit by a drunk driver during a traffic stop. He was 24. Leotta, who began as an intern and permanently joined the department in 2013, was a member of the Holiday Alcohol Task Force known for his devotion to getting drunk drivers off the road. He inspired passage of “Noah’s Law” during the 2016 Maryland General Assembly. Leotta is survived by his parents and sister.

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey of the Harford County Sheriff's Office was shot and killed by a wanted man on February 10, 2016. He was 52. Dailey had approached the wanted individual in an Abingdon Panera when, without warning, the man produced a gun and shot him. Dailey, a 30-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was assigned to the Court Services Division who was a former Marine and lifetime member of the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company. He is survived by his mother and two sons.

Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon of the Harford County Sheriff's Office was shot and killed by a wanted man who also killed Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey on February 10, 2016. Logsdon was 43. A 16-year veteran of the sheriff's office, Logsdon was assigned to the Community Services Division. Before becoming a deputy, he served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard. He is survived by his wife, three children and parents.

Detective Jacai Colson of the Prince George’s County Police Department was shot while responding to an active shooter situation in front of the District III police station on March 13, 2016. He was 28. An undercover narcotics officer, Colson was mistaken for an assailant and shot by fellow officers. The native of Boothwyn, Pa, had served with the department for four years. He is survived by his parents.

"For more than 30 years, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens has honored Maryland's fallen heroes—public servants who have given their lives in the line of duty," Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens Chair John O. Mitchell III said in a statement. "Fallen Heroes Day provides an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland to take time to show appreciation and respect for the men and women who risk their lives each day when they report to work."

The Fallen Heroes Memorial is at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 East Padonia Road, Timonium, MD 21093.

Photo courtesy of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.