As the 29th annual Law Enforcement Memorial Run wound its way toward the finish line downtown, more than 100 people taking part in the 150-mile run that started Monday in Philadelphia stopped at the courthouse in Hyattsville to honor Prince George’s County’s fallen officers.
Wednesday’s ceremony was brief and started with a prayer, and then thanks and acknowledgment from Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz.
“We made a firm commitment, a firm commitment, decades ago, centuries ago, from the first fallen officer, that we would never forget,” Aziz said. “A testament to those words, a commitment to those words are amplified and magnified by your presence today.”
The department has seen 30 officers killed while on the job or responding to a call. The first was Edward Merson, who died in the Beltsville area in 1946, leaving behind a wife and six kids.
The most recent occurred in 2018, when Sgt. Mujahid Ramzziddin was shot outside his home in Brandywine while trying to help a neighbor who was being attacked during a domestic violence incident. He was off duty at the time.
Ramzziddin left behind a wife and four kids.
“We stand here today to remember those names,” Aziz said. “Not only are they etched in a wall, they are etched on our hearts, and that fire can never be extinguished. It will burn in our hearts and our minds forever.”
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Among those running is the department’s current police academy class. Before they took off down Route 1 toward D.C., the chief addressed them, saying, “Don’t ever stop standing, don’t ever stop remembering.”
“I love you guys,” he finished.
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