Officers Eric J. Joering and Anthony P. Morelli were responding to a 911 hang-up call made during a domestic dispute on February 10 when they were met with gunfire.
Morelli had been on the force 29 years while Joering served Westerville police for 16 years, according to the Westerville Police Department.
The 32nd annual Ohio Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony will honor the 799 Ohio peace officers who have been killed in the line of duty since 1823.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and law enforcement officers from across the state are expected to participate in the ceremony.
Those honored will include four officers who died 2018:
- Officer Eric J. Joering, Westerville Division of Police
- Officer Anthony P. Morelli, Westerville Division of Police
- Officer Mathew J. Mazany, Mentor Police Department
- Officer Vu X. Nguyen, Cleveland Division of Police
A moment of silence will also be held for Officer Dale Woods of the Colerain Twp. Police Department, who was struck by a pickup truck while outside his cruiser on January 7, 2019.
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Officers Woods will receive full honors during the 2020 ceremony.
Four historical inductions will also occur during the event: Deputy Sheriff George W. Rockwell of the Logan County Sheriff's Office (end of watch: 1878), Chief Deputy Martin L. Myers of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office (end of watch: 1940), Officer Clark Teeple of the Napoleon Police Department (end of watch: 1931), and Special Officer Joseph B. Mumford of the East Liverpool Police Department (end of watch: 1956).
The memorial ceremony will be held at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, located at 150 Ohio 56 SW, beginning at 11 a.m.
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