A ceremony was held today in Indianapolis to remember fallen Indiana Conservation Officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to the state of Indiana and its citizen.

The ceremony was held at the Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial in Indianapolis.

Current Indiana Conservation Officers were brought to attention and prepared for roll call by Col. Steve Hunter. The invocation was given by DNR Division of Law Enforcement Chaplain John Tyner. Members of the Indiana Conservation Officer (ICO) Honor Guard then displayed the national and state flags as Lt. Col. Jason Lee read each fallen officer’s name, along with a description of the circumstances surrounding his death.

A total of seven members of the DNR Division of Law Enforcement have died in the line of duty since its inception in 1911. Those officers, listed with their end of watch date: Sgt. Ed Bollman, Feb. 13, 2018; F/Sgt. Karl E. Kelley, April 17, 1998; ICO Thomas Deniston, Oct. 16, 1990; ICO James D. Pitzer, Jan. 2, 1961; ICO Robert Perkins, May 27, 1958; Warden William J. Nattkemper, April 27, 1926; and Warden William J. Peare, April 27, 1926.

After the reading of the names of the fallen officers, “Taps” was played, and the ceremony concluded with a benediction given by Tyner.

Indiana Conservation Officers are law enforcement officers for the DNR and are the oldest Indiana state law enforcement agency. A total of 214 Indiana Conservation Officers serve the state.