Louisville City Wire

For the second time in a month, the memorial monument honoring the Louisville police in Jefferson Square has been subjected to acts of vandalism.

Russell Coleman, the nominee for Kentucky Attorney General, expressed his disappointment in a recent tweet regarding the vandalism of the law enforcement memorial located in Jefferson Square, Louisville. This act of vandalism comes merely a month after the previous incident on May 3rd, according to WDRB.

"The men and women of law enforcement deserve our respect" Coleman said. "This vandalism sickens me. It not only evidences disrespect for the basic rule of law, but also shows contempt for the actual human beings who have sacrificed their lives for our families. Let’s call it what it is: cowardice."

The monument stands as a tribute to fallen Louisville police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their duty. Last month, it was reported that two American flags seemed to have been intentionally burned within the eternal flame that is located at the top of the structure. As a result, the memorial sustained minor burn damage. The memorial also endured numerous acts of defacement during the 2020 protests relating to the murder of Breonna Taylor, according to the Courier Journal.

"Our monument vandalized again!," Ryan Straw, Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police Vice President, said in a tweet. "For years the FOP lodges in Louisville have discussed moving our Memorial from downtown due to continued issues with protecting the actual monument. Every time, the Presidents Council decides that taking the Memorial from a central location would not give LEO’s opportunities to stop and pay their respect to our fallen brothers & sisters. The love for LE, especially our fallen, has sadly left our city. It is no longer viable to have a Memorial downtown. Consider this priority number one for the eight FOP lodges in Louisville. We will not standby and allow those who break the law to inflict even more pain & grief on the survivors of those fallen officers. Louisville is better than this. I hope our leaders will join the FOP in finding a solution that honors their memory."