Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be a Berrien County Peace Officer’s Memorial Day Service this year. It had been scheduled for noon on Friday. The Blossomland Lodge #100 Fraternal Order of Police says the decision was not taken lightly, but calling it off “was in the best interest of the families of our fallen officers, the first responders and all of those who attend the annual event. The service honors the officers who have died in the line of duty, dating back to August 1907 for Niles City Patrolman Clarence Shockley and most recently Berrien County Courthouse Security Supervisor Joseph Zangaro and courthouse security officer Ronald Kienzle. There are 17 Berrien County officers honored every year along with three others who are former residents killed in the line of duty elsewhere in the country.
Here is the list of the fallen officers honored annually:
• PATROLMAN CLARENCE SHOCKLEY
Niles City Police Department
August 15, 1907
• TROOPER WILLIAM MARTZ
Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post
March 12, 1925
• PATROLMAN FRANCIS LAMUNION
Saint Joseph City Police Department
June 23, 1927
• PATROLMAN CHARLES SKELLEY
Saint Joseph City Police Department
December 14, 1929
• PATROLMAN VANCE COOPER
Niles City Police Department
March 4, 1937
• DEPUTY ELTON STOVER
Berrien County Sheriff Department
December 10, 1965
• SERGEANT ROBERT STEVENS
Benton Township Police Department
April 29, 1970
• TROOPER CHARLES STARK
Michigan State Police New Buffalo Post
December 31, 1971
• TROOPER GARY RAMPY
Michigan State Police New Buffalo Post
December 31, 1971
• TROOPER STEVEN DEVRIES
Michigan State Police Niles Post
October 12, 1972
• DETECTIVE/CAPTAIN PAUL WINQUIST
Niles City Police Department
November 11, 1980
• TROOPER ALLAN PETERSON
Michigan State Police Saint Joseph Post
August 29, 1981
• TROOPER ROBERT MIHALIK
Michigan State Police Saint Joseph Post
September 9, 1984
• PATROLMAN DONALD DEFORD
Lincoln Township Police Department
March 14, 1988
• CHIEF KEITH MILLS
Saint Joseph Township Police Department October 18, 1988
• SECURITY SUPV. JOSEPH ZANGARO
Berrien County Trial Court
July 11, 2016
• COURT OFFICER RONALD KIENZLE
Berrien County Trial Court
July 11, 2016
Former residents serving
outside of the area
• OFFICER ROBERT POLMANTEER
• Phoenix Police Department
May 4, 1984
• SERGEANT JAMES FARAONE
Salt Lake City Police Department
September, 18, 2001
• SPECIAL AGENT PAUL SORCE
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Detroit, Michigan
March 9, 2009
