By admin 
WASHINGTON (AZFamily) — Flags across the country are flying at half-staff in honor of National Peace Officer Memorial Day.
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363 names were added to the memorial in Washington this week, including the name of Officer Gabriel Facio of Apache Junction, who was shot and killed on duty almost one year ago.
The National Law Enforcement Memorial bears nearly 25,000 names dating back to 1991. Officer Facio is among the newest.
On the morning of June 2, 2025, a man pulled a gun during a traffic stop. Facio responded to the scene. He was shot and died six days later at a hospital.
“We’ve had some of our staff go through some really hard times emotionally because of this,” said Apache Junction Police Chief Michael Pooley.
Pooley said being at the memorial is emotional but healing.
Rep. Andy Biggs welcomed Facio’s group when they arrived in Washington earlier this week, including his daughter, Ana.
“When my dad passed away, I was two months away from getting married,” Ana Facio said.
Her brother found out he was going to be a dad a month later.
“When you come here and you see it’s one of your loved ones on the wall, it’s really moving,” Ana Facio said.
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“Seeing his name makes me know that I’m not going to see him in this life again,” Pooley said. “But what it also reminds me of is that this week I’ve seen him in his daughter, and I’ve seen him in his son, and in his mom and dad.”
Ana Facio said it has been a painful year for her family, especially her mom, who lost her best friend.
“But when you look around and you see there’s other families, children, like without their parents, I think that breaks your heart a little bit more,” she said.
Another Arizona officer was added to the wall this year. Capt. Shawn Braaten died of COVID-19 in 2021. He was a Marine Corps veteran who served the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for 31 years.
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