Dozens of officers and hundreds of community members gathered at the Fondé Community Center in Houston to honor fallen members of the Houston Police Department.
HOUSTON — Dozens of officers and hundreds of community members gathered at the Fondé Community Center in Houston to honor fallen members of the Houston Police Department during an emotional memorial ceremony recognizing officers who died in the line of duty over generations of service.
The solemn event featured an honor guard, the sound of bagpipes and the reading of the names of 123 fallen officers, spanning from the 1800s to today. Families of the fallen looked on as officers paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving and protecting the community.
Among the names read aloud was Sgt. Harold Preston, a veteran Houston police officer who was killed in the line of duty just weeks before his planned retirement.
Preston had served with the Houston Police Department for 40 years. Sgt. Preston was responding to a domestic disturbance call near the Astrodome when he was shot and killed by a man inside an apartment.
His ex-wife, Ann Preston, attended the ceremony and reflected on the pain of losing him nearly six years later.
“Surreal still. It’s been 6 years almost. Still sinking in.”
She also remembered the deep love they shared.
“He was the love of my life. I will never love anyone else as long as I loved him. He is gone now in a better place.”
Ann Preston said she believes he was doing what he loved most when he died.
“I saw it as he was having one last hurrah and it cost him his life.”
Throughout the ceremony, officers and loved ones honored not only Preston, but all of the officers who lost their lives while serving the city. The memorial served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by generations of law enforcement officers and the department’s commitment to never forget them.
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