Police Memorial Week: Jackson County service set for Thursday

Jackson County will be observing Police Memorial Week in the county’s traditional placing of the wreaths on the graves of fallen officers this Thursday, May 16^th at 2 p.m.

Deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department will simultaneously place wreaths at the appropriate cemeteries for the following fallen heroes:

• In Ocean Springs, they’ll be honoring Sergeant Ernest Beaugez.
• In Pascagoula, the late Police Officer Jeffrey Rughheimer will be remembered alongside Pascagoula Police Major Nathanial Smith.
• National Park Service Ranger Robert McGhee will be honored, along with Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Bruce Evans.
• In Moss Point, Police Officer Larry Lee will be honored.
• In Pascagoula, Officer Terry Michael Byrd will be remembered.

The sheriff’s department honor guard will perform a ceremony at Officer Beaugez’s grave site at Bellande Cemetery in Ocean Springs as other deputies spread throughout the county will place flowers at other grave sites at the same time.