Palm Springs Police honor fallen officers with memorial ceremony

Wednesday was the start of National Police Week. The Palm Springs Police Department honored its fallen officers with a special memorial ceremony outside of its headquarters.

PSPD Chief Andy Mills was one of many officials who made remarks honoring the lives of four Palm Springs police officers who were killed in the line of duty.

Officer Gale Eldridge, Officer Lyle Larrabee, Officer Jose "Gil" Vega, and Officer Lesley Zerebny.

Vega and Zerebny were both ambushed by a gunman when they were responding to a domestic disturbance call in October 2016. Vega was a veteran officer about to retire. Zerebny was a new mom just starting her career. 

Eldridge was shot and killed in January 1961 during an armed robbery. 

Larrabe was killed in a crash in 1962 while chasing a suspect. 

In Washington D.C., local Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz called on Congress to pass legislation that would increase financial assistance to families of law enforcement officers killed on the job.  The legislation is called the Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gil Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act.