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Two names added to memorial for Utah officers killed in the line of duty

Posted at 9:39 PM, May 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-05 23:39:14-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- A single trumpet echoed throughout the grounds of the Utah State Capitol Thursday morning as two officer’s names were added to a memorial for those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Brothers in blue, loved ones and the community gathered for a special ceremony to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Officer Doug Barney was shot and killed in January while investigating a hit and run crash in Holliday. His name is engraved on a bronze plaque now among the names of men and women recognized for their valor and courage.

“They’re willing to run into places where other people are running out of, they're willing to stand up and protect the defenseless and see the things no one else wants to see,” said Erika Barney, Doug's wife.

Tears filled Erika Barney's eyes as she spoke about her husband.

“I've been thinking about the legacy Doug is going to leave behind for our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren,” she said.

She says this wall will serve as a reminder of what he stood for and believed in.

“So they can see how the community won't forget and how the community appreciates his sacrifice,” she said.

Along with Barney’s name, another plaque was added for Leon May, 63 years after he died. May drowned in April of 1953 while searching for a drowning victim on the Bear River.

The deputy from Box Elder County is now listed among Utah’s heroes.

“We pray to God that we don't have to add more names to this wall, but the potential is there every single day, every single shift, and yet our members continue to go out on a regular basis,” Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said.