By Vernon Clark
Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — On the eve of the primary election of her successor, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham yesterday dedicated a wall to the 23 Philadelphia police officers who have died in the line of duty during her tenure.
In front of relatives and friends of the fallen, inside her office’s media/training room, Abraham unveiled the “Wall of Photographs” of the men and women who have given their lives for Philadelphia since 1991.
“This effort is a pure labor of love,” said Abraham. “It is dedicated to those heroes who have died in the last 18 years in service to this city.”
She then went through the names of the fallen officers, sharing anecdotes about some.
She began with Daniel R. Boyle, 21, who was fatally shot Feb. 4, 1991, one day before his first anniversary on the police force. Boyle had chased a man driving a stolen car near Eighth Street and Germantown Avenue when he was shot by the fleeing driver.
“Danny was just a kid,” Abraham recalled. “He was only on the police force one year.”
Boyle’s mother, Betty, attended the dedication and said she was pleased that her son was honored.
“The fact that the district attorney started this wall of remembrance with my son is just so heartwarming,” a tearful Boyle said.
She added, “I know Danny lives on, because I heard someone say his name out loud today. Every time I hear his name, I know that someone is thinking about him and that means a great deal.”
Abraham told the gathering that the wall was created “because we want to do some small something to let you know that, when a law enforcement officer is lost, he or she is not only lost to the family and the police department family, but to the prosecutors’ family as well.”
Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey reached out to the relatives of the fallen, noting that five officers have died on duty since he took office a year and a half ago.
“To all the families: Always know that . . . we will always be there for you,” he said.
Copyright 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer