Representatives of each Centre County law enforcement agency, local officials and community members gathered Wednesday in Bellefonte to honor peace officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
The annual Peace Officers Memorial, held in front of the Centre County Courthouse, paid tribute to the 113 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers across the United States who died on duty in the last year, as well as 22 fallen K-9 partners.
“These officers demonstrated selfless courage, serving with bravery, professionalism and dedication to protect and serve others,” Bellefonte Police Chief Bill Witmer said. “This ceremony serves as a reminder that every day, men and women in uniform accept the responsibility of protecting our society. Every officer here today understands that commitment and that there may come a time when they are called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. Today, we pay special honor to those who do.”
The memorial was held in conjunction with National Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week, both of which were recognized in Centre County in a proclamation read by Commissioners Mark Higgins, Amber Concepcion and Steve Dershem.
Dershem pointed out that a short distance from the courthouse steps is a reminder of a local officer killed in the line of duty, a tribute to Bellefonte police officer Ronald Seymore, who was fatally shot in 1971 at the corner of North Allegheny and East High streets.
“I just want to remind everyone that this hits home every once in a while,” Dershem said. “I look back and think of how many lives were changed in our little community.”
Following the singing of the national anthem by Penelope Abrahamson and invocation by Pastor Will Osman of St. John Lutheran Church in Bellefonte, state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, delivered keynote remarks.
Benninghoff worked alongside many law enforcement officers during his time as a Centre County coroner. Police officers are first on the scene for any emergency, and sometimes must make split-second decisions that can be the difference between life and death, he said.
“We take for granted that we are expecting them to go into harm’s way, regardless of what the situation is, while we run away,” Benninghoff said. “It’s innate in all human beings to want to be safe. So as you look around these individuals here, they may have a Kevlar vest but it’s not Superman. They don’t just jump into a telephone booth and suddenly they’re protected from all harm.”
He added that for the families of officers killed in the line of duty, the impact lasts forever.
“We have these individuals at high expectations, and we forget that they are spouses, brothers, sisters, daughters, wives that also have other lives,” Benninghoff said. “Today, we are specifically here to honor those who have fallen from that sense of commitment. These people choose to serve, they choose to lead and to be that protection that all of us want… There is no budgetary line item that’s going to protect these people when they make these split decisions. For the family of the lost, that aftermath is forever.”
Representatives from 10 Centre County law enforcement agencies read the names of each of the officers who died in the line of duty in 2025, a list that included five from Pennsylvania: Patrolman Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department; Detectives Isaiah Emenheiser, Cody Becker and Mark Baker of the Northern York County Regional Police Department; and Officer Andy Chan of the Philadelphia Police Department.
The ceremony also included the presentation of a memorial wreath by Keara Tice of the Centre County Emergency Communications Center and Mark Baney of the Penn University Police and Public Safety Operations Center; a 21-gun salute by the Centre County Law Enforcement Rifle Team; the playing of “Taps” by Bellefonte Police Officer Noah Bollman; and the playing of “Amazing Grace” by bagpipers. A state Department of Corrections honor guard advanced and retired the colors.
