Officers stand guard in St. Paul for national Police Memorial Day

May 15 is National Police Memorial Day, designated by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to remember the men and women in uniform who protect and serve our communities. 

This year, officers are standing guard in front of the Peace Officers' Memorial in St. Paul for 24 hours--enough time to remember the 278 Minnesota officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

One of the fallen is Sgt. Joseph Bergeron, who was shot responding to a carjacking call in 2010.

"I hear so many times from people that their department hasn’t remembered," his sister-in-law Jackie Bergeron said. "It’s so nice that the memorial here is able to remember them." 

The state's last known death in the line of duty was Aitkin Deputy Steven Sandburg in October 2015--making the current stretch the longest in state history that Minnesota has gone without a fallen officer. It's a trend those gathered in St. Paul Sunday hope will continue for a long time.