Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The community mourned when former Winchester Police Department Chief Marty Jackson, who was then employed as a sergeant, passed away of a heart attack in April 2024 shortly after responding to a call. 

Both Jackson and the Winchester Police Department at large were recently given an honor. 

As a part of National Police Week from Sunday, May 11 to Saturday, May 17, several officers were present in Washington, DC, while Jackson’s name was etched on the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial. 

“We accompanied his family down there to be a part of the ceremonies,” said Winchester Police Department Zack Conlee, noting that Jackson’s late wife, three daughters, and extended family attended. “It’s the first year we’ve gone down to Washington, DC, to celebrate it.” 

As stated at https://nleomf.org/memorial/, the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial “is the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty…the Memorial honors federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifices for the safety and protection of our nation and its people.” 

In addition to Conlee, fellow members of the Winchester Police Department to attend included Sergeant Monty Corbett and patrolmen Jacob Reffitt, Travis Ashcraft, and Josh Leslie. 

Nationwide, Conlee estimated that approximately 20,000 officers may have been present. 

Like members of the Winchester Police Department, many of those officers saw colleagues’ names added to the memorial. 

“They put [approximately] 345 names on the wall this year,” Conlee added. “They had a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night, and then on Thursday, they recognized all the families.” 

For Conlee, who had a long working relationship with Jackson, the experience was especially meaningful. 

“Sergeant Jackson was the chief of police when I got hired, so I worked with him for almost 

twenty years,” he said. “It was great that we could go down and be a part of that and show his family support.” 

When asked what he’d like the community to remember about the Winchester Police Department and Chief Jackson, Conlee responded. 

“He did a lot for the community [and] a lot for our police department,” he said.