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EDINBURG — Old Glory waved above rows of officers Thursday as they stood in the parking lot of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office to honor their fellow officers who lost their lives in service of their community.
Hugs, tears and smiles were familiar among the family, friends and various law enforcement officers gathered Thursday morning for the sheriff’s office’s Fallen Heroes Police Memorial Ceremony.
The 18th annual event has taken on even greater meaning after the South Texas community lost four law enforcement officers over the last three years.
In June 2019, Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta was shot and killed after responding to a call in reference to an armed man.
A few months later, in September of that year, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Moises Sanchez died after surgery for injuries he sustained after being shot in Edinburg.
Then in July 2020, McAllen police officers Edelmiro Garza Jr. and Ismael Chavez Jr. were shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance.
The Rio Grande Valley has since shown its support to their families and agencies — both financially and in sentiment.
Pictures of officers who have died in the line of duty surrounded the podium where Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra stood as he expressed his gratitude to the families in attendance.
“They are called upon to do things that most people don’t, and some of them willingly will give their life for others and when they do that, that is the definition of a hero,” Guerra said, adding that those who have died will always be remembered. “We will never forget the sacrifice.”
The names of the fallen officers were carved into a black marble stone displayed in front of the sheriff’s office, which was decorated in black and blue arrangements.
Uniforms of black, blue, gray, beige, and green could be seen across the parking lot as officers from various departments stood with their fellow comrades — each wearing a badge with a black strip across it to memorialize fallen officers.
“This is a family, this is the thin blue line right here. When that line is shattered by a death we all come together because we are one big family, whether you’re a federal officer, state officer, county or local officer,” Guerra said.
During the ceremony, Father Amador Garza read a poem by Sgt. George Hahn, a retired officer from the Los Angeles Police Department. The poem, “The Monument,” was written from the perspective of a fallen officer as he attends his own funeral.
Family members stood with their heads bowed, gripping a single white rose in their hands as the last words of the poem filled the silence.
“I ask for here and all the past.
Dear God, let my name be the last.”
Among the families was Celia Segovia, whose husband Manuel Abelardo Segovia Jr., a narcotics investigator for the sheriff’s office, was killed on Oct. 31, 1986.
She stood in a black dress gazing at the image of her husband.
“The children, the parents, the widows, the widowers we suffer too, but we are very proud of them,” Celia said with a shaky voice as she held a white rose in honor of her husband.
Emily Bravo, the niece of deputy Benito Eduardo Bravo of the sheriff’s office, also stood among the crowd that morning. Deputy Bravo died in action July 21, 1987, after responding to a suspicious vehicle call.
“I never got to meet him because he passed, but it feels good to know that they still honor him every year,” Emily said, as a tear streamed down her face. “It makes my dad, his brother, very happy and emotional. It is emotional for all of us.”
She stood with her little boy, and although he could not understand the significance of the ceremony, his mother knew it was important for him to be there.
