By C1 Staff
SIOUX FALLS, SD — A community came together at a local mall on Thursday to honor fallen officers in their area.
Project Blue Light started in Philadelphia in 1988 when the mother-in-law of a fallen officer placed a blue light in her window during the holiday season to honor his memory.
Those in the Sioux Falls area held their sixth annual celebration of the project, reading aloud the names of all 53 officers killed in the state since the 1880s, according to The Argus Leader. The most recent is Corrections Officer Ronald Johnson, who was killed in 2011 by two South Dakota State Penitentiary inmates.
Brandon Police Chief Dave Kull played the bagpipes during the event.
Warden Darin Young couldn’t attend the celebration, but associate warden Arthur Allcock read a letter aloud on his behalf.
“I’m truly privileged to lead my staff at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. Our greatest asset is our staff and my primary concern is keeping our staff safe while supervising the most dangerous individuals in our state,” his letter read.