Families and community honor the fallen at Merced County's peace officer memorial

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Merced County paid tribute to its fallen peace officers during a solemn ceremony on Wednesday.

The sights and sounds of Merced County's peace officer memorial evoked strong emotions for the families of the fallen.

"You never forget, even today when they were playing taps, it brings tears to my eyes because I think of the time we lost," said RoseMary Parga Duran.

Duran's brother, Arthur Parga, was a well-respected Stockton Police Officer.

He was shot and killed while serving a search warrant with the SWAT team in 1993.

He left behind a wife and five year old son - along with a baby girl he never had the chance to meet.

"His wife was pregnant when he was killed in the line of duty, and his daughter now is 30 years old, she's 30 years old," explained Duran.

Officer Parga is among the 17 North Valley peace officers whose names appear on this memorial wall.

Now, a new monument is in place, paying tribute to Livingston Police Chief Chuck Hale.

He passed away in May of last year at the age of 46 from medical complications following back surgery.

"It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. He was more than my dad, he was my football coach, we boded a lot, grew close, were best friends and it's been tough," said Caden Hale, Chuck's son.

Chief Hale served his community as an officer and deputy for 28 years, telling his children every morning that he was going to work to make the world a better place.

"He wanted me and my sister to grow up in a world where we didn't have to worry about going outside," recalled Caden.

"He dedicated his entire life to it, and we want to try to live through him."