By Amanda Spence
LOS ANGELES — Law enforcement officers, each wounded in the line of duty, were honored during the Los Angeles Chargers’ preseason game over the weekend.
The Chargers, along with The Wounded Blue organization, came together to honor the officers, who were able to participate in team events before kickoff and during halftime, Fox News reports. California Highway Patrol officer Juan Reyes, along with San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputy Marcus Mason participated in the events and had the opportunity to fire the “Heroes Canon” at the SoFi Stadium at the beginning of the game. Both officer were shot and wounded while on duty.
Pennsylvania Highway Patrol officer Bob Bemis, who was attacked on duty and is now paralyzed and blind in one eye, was responsible for the “Thunder siren” during the event, which is a WWII-like siren that goes off when the Chargers make a touchdown.
“We are honored by the Chargers’ support of America’s wounded officers,” Lt. Randy Sutton, founder of The Wounded Blue, said. “More than 120,000 officers have been attacked in the line of duty over the last two years. Too often, America’s law enforcement are severely wounded and left to fend for themselves, as 85% of departments don’t have the resources to deal with the long-term issues they face with their injuries. PTSD and suicide are also at an historic high. Recognizing these officers and providing peer support for them is critical to their recovery.”
The Chargers also gave out more than 100 tickets to wounded officers in the Los Angeles area. During the game, officers from numerous local departments were in attendance.
https://www.facebook.com/thewoundedblue/videos/1115687209020643/
NEXT: What you don’t know about being injured could leave you homeless