National Peace Officer Memorial Day is being commemorated across the country and four officers from Marion County are among 191 Iowa law enforcement officials who’ve been killed in the line of duty.

Most recently, the death of Knoxville Officer M.A. “Bert” Conrey was recognized with a memorial at the Knoxville Police Department, which was attended by several family members including his only living child, Duane Conrey, Sr. Officer Conrey’s end of watch was April 2nd, 1938, at the age of 56, after he sustained injuries from an assault by a couple on St. Patrick’s Day two weeks earlier. He was also honored at the Iowa Peace Officer’s Memorial in Des Moines last week and is being honored today at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. Transport
Officer Virgil Behrens was another officer who passed away in June 2008. Behrens died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on his way to training in Des Moines.