Memorial for fallen police officer

DOWNEY - Plans to honor fallen Downey police officer Wayne Presley with a monument outside the police station are moving forward after approval from the City Council on Tuesday.Presley, 37, became the only Downey police officer to die in the line of duty when he was killed by a drunk driver on April 10, 1981. The police department is hoping to have the monument in place before the 30th anniversary of Presley's death. Presley, a motorcycle officer, was assisting a stalled semi-truck at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver. He left behind a wife and three children. The bronze, life-sized statue will rest on a granite hexagon-shaped platform. It will be placed on a strip of grass between the police station and City Hall. The $90,000 memorial will be paid for using the city's Art in Public Places Fund and the police department's asset forfeiture fund. The memorial received unanimous support from the City Council, with Mayor Pro Tem Roger Brossmer calling the honor "long overdue." Presley's family was in attendance Tuesday, along with his partner, retired Sgt. Steve Guthrie.

********** Published: February 10, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 43