BPD to honor fallen members of department during National Police Week

UPDATE: 

On May 17th between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. all lanes on Truxtun Avenue will be closed between H Street and Eye Street due to Police week activities. During 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., there will only be one lane open on Truxtun Avenue between Chester Avenue and L Street in the Eastbound lane. Police encourage drivers to avoid the area. 

As part of National Police Week, the Bakersfield Police Department will honor those who lost their lives while protecting and serving the streets of Bakersfield.

In a Facebook post on Monday morning, the department posted a picture of the eight members of the force who gave the ultimate sacrifice while members of the BPD.

The members of BPD who lost their lives are: T.J. Packard, who died April 20, 1903; Frank Sparks, who died June 16, 1917; Aaron Trent, who died Aug. 22, 1917; Floyd B.D.W. Cummings, who died Jan. 7, 1952; William Rucker, who died July 20, 1952; Patrick Vegas, who died June 20, 1980; William Sikola, who died July 17, 1983; and David Nelson, who died June 26, 2015. 

The Bakersfield Police Department will hold a ceremony honoring the fallen officers at 7 a.m. Thursday in front of the police department on Truxtun Avenue. 

A county-wide memorial will be held at noon Thursday at the Peace Officers' Memorial on Truxtun.