“This is a very solemn occasion.” These words came from Warwick’s Chief of Police, Colonel Stephen McCartney yesterday in front of police headquarters.

The setting was a dedication of a memorial to honor the five Warwick officers, who have died in the line of duty since 1902.

The ceremony focused on the unveiling of a permanent memorial outside of the police headquarters bearing the names of the officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving the people of Warwick.

“Law enforcement is a difficult profession. It takes its toll on those who serve,” said Inspector Chris Mathiesen, who has been with the Warwick Police for more than 50 years.

Mathiesen designed the memorial and spearheaded the project. He is the department’s “unofficial historian” and combed through decades of old newspapers to find information on those who had fallen.

He said the statue would be “a living embodiment of those officers who served in our ranks and died in the line of duty.”

Mayor Scott Avedisian, who preceded him at the podium, opened by saying, “All over the country this week, people are coming together to honor those in service. This will be a permanent reminder for all those who served this community.”

The memorial is a statue of a young officer standing in front of a stone inscribed, “In memory of Warwick police officers killed in the line of duty.” Listed below are the names of each fallen officer and the year they passed away. They are:

Officer John B. Gendron suffered a gunshot wound in late 1902 as he and another officer were on patrol. The other officer survived, but Gendron passed away a month later.

Patrolman Walter G. McQuarry was shot and killed on June 27, 1911 as he attempted to question a suspected thief on East Greenwich Road in Apponaug. At the time, the suspect was thought to have also killed a Providence policeman, however, while identified, the suspect left the country before he could be arrested.

Patrolman Kenneth R. Fratus was directing traffic on Centerville Road on Friday, May 21, 1971 when a 10-wheel dump truck backed up and ran over him.

Reserve Captain Christopher Feeney was directing traffic on Warwick Avenue when he was struck and killed by a speeding vehicle on December 20, 1971.

Patrolman Donald R. Casasanta was struck and killed by a vehicle on July 11, 1981 while directing traffic.

The memorial is meant to recognize these officers and any in the future that die in the line of duty.

Headquarters Maintenance Director Ed Carpenter was responsible for building the memorial. He explained how several Warwick businesses worked together on the project.

The Warren Memorial Co. provided the stone memorial bearing the inscription and fallen officers’ names. They offered the stone for $500 instead of the normal $1,500. The statue of the police officer came from the West Shore Road Garden Center in Conimicut. Usually $700, the center offered it for $400 after learning about the good cause behind its purpose.

Cardi Corporation, who’s been doing the Apponaug Circulator, had workers involved after their shifts ended. They provided the commercially-sized concrete cylinder beneath the actual statue and did much of the construction for no charge.

The whole project took about two weeks to physically put together, but it’s been in talks for about a year or so. It was when Carpenter’s wife saw the statue that everything came together, right in time for National Law Enforcement Officers’ Week.

At the end of the ceremony, Mathiesen walked away saying he was glad to finally have this “this statue to honor our deceased.”