In an emotional ceremony that resonated with the vibrations of sorrow and honor, the Arlington Police Department added another fallen officer's name to Heroes Park's memorial wall as a part of the preparatory tributes leading up to National Police Week. The solemn affair was marked by the presence of the loved ones of Officer Darrin McMichael, whose end of watch (EOW) occurred on September 21, 2023, his memory now cemented alongside eight others who have died in the line of duty.

On the crisp morning of the event, the McMichael family gathered, flanked by members of the community and fellow officers, to witness the unveiling of the plaque that bears his name, another soul immortalized in the quiet landscapes of Heroes Park, the ceremony harbored not just the grief for the newly added name, but a resonance of past losses that whisper through the ranks, the names of James Johnson, Gary Harl, Terry Lewis, Jerry Crocker, Craig Hanking, Joey Cushman, Craig Story, and Jillian Smith, each with their own stories of bravery and sacrifice, echoed through the annals of the department's legacy.

Earlier in the week, the Arlington Police's Honor Guard provided a supportive escort to the McMichael family as they saw Officer McMichael's name join the roll call of the departed at the Texas Peace Officers Memorial in Austin. This act of remembrance tied the local community's loss to the broader brotherhood of service and protection that spans the state.

The Arlington Police Department shared on Facebook, "We host this ceremony every year to ensure that they are never forgotten. But this year's event carried some additional weight and emotion — because we had to add a new name to the memorial wall at Heroes Park," the Arlington PD strives to keep the stories of their fallen alive in the hearts of the community and among the officers who continue to serve, risking all in the noble pursuit of public safety, a pursuit that threads the ethos of service above self into the fabric of the every day.