HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) paused on Sunday, May 2, to honor the department’s fallen troopers in conjunction with its 116th anniversary.
PSP was established by Governor Samuel Pennypacker on May 2, 1905, becoming the first uniformed police agency of its kind in the United States.
In 2021, the name of Trooper Donald C. Brackett was added to the Memorial Wall at the state police academy in Hershey. He died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty on May 18, 2019. Trooper Brackett was previously engaged in department motorcycle training that was subsequently discovered to have exacerbated an unknown existing medical condition, ultimately leading to the fatal medical episode from which he died.
“The 99 names etched into the Memorial Wall represent not only the individual troopers who died in service to the commonwealth since 1905 but also the sacrifices of countless family members and loved ones who suffered their loss,” said Colonel Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“Today is a solemn day for our department, as we honor those who came before us and ensure that their contributions to our department are not forgotten.”
