The Steamboat Springs Police Department and the Routt County Sheriff’s Office are hosting a special police week remembrance event at 5 p.m. Monday to remember the law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty for National Police Week.

“This week serves as a time of reflection, gratitude, and unity as we honor the courage and dedication of those who gave their lives to protect and serve,” said Police Chief Mark Beckett in a statement. “In this line of work as a police officer, we must never forget their sacrifice and always carry them with us every time we head out on patrol.”

The event will take place in the community room of the Combined Law Enforcement Facility at 2027 Shield Drive and will also recognize recent police academy graduates.

In Routt County, four law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since 1898, including two deputies with the sheriff’s office, one officer with the police department and the town marshal with the Oak Creek Police Department.

On March 1, 1898, deputized civilian Val Hoy was shot and killed while riding with a posse attempting to arrest a man wanted for cattle rustling and the shooting of a teenage boy on a ranch near Rock Springs, Wyoming, just north of the Colorado border. Hoy was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War.

Oak Creek Town Marshal Clem Eller was shot and killed Nov. 5, 1927, while attempting to arrest a man for selling illegal liquor at a dance hall. As Eller approached, the man drew a handgun and shot him, killing Eller.

Deputy Charles Gibbs was killed March 21, 1929, when he was caught in an avalanche 22 miles northwest of Steamboat Springs while on his way to serve papers on two miners. A search party found his body under tons of snow the next day. Gibbs was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI.

Officer James Chew was shot and killed on July 28, 1972, by an escapee from a Washington state prison. The suspect had been the focus of a manhunt in the area for several days. Officer Chew was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Steamboat Springs Police Department for four years.

“At the heart of this profession is our unwavering commitment to protect and serve the Yampa Valley,” said Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar in a statement. “We accept the risks that come with wearing the badge, and National Police Week is a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice and ultimate price paid by those who never returned home.”