D.C. vigil honors Clayton constable killed in '64 crash

5/14/2004

CLAYTON, Mich. - A village constable killed almost 40 years ago as he chased a speeder in this western Lenawee County community was among 362 fallen officers honored in a candlelight vigil in Washington that drew thousands last night.

Constable Richard LaVern Teske's name was added to the National Police Memorial in Washington in a candlelight ceremony where U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was the keynote speaker.

Mr. Teske was 34 years old and a part-time constable using his own car equipped with a red light and siren when he chased a speeder on an August Saturday in 1964.

On a sharp curve just outside of the village his car hit the ditch. He was thrown out of the car, which rolled over and landed on top of him.

He is thought to be the only officer killed in the line of duty from Lenawee County whose name was not on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington's Judiciary Square.

He is the only officer from a local department among the 362 whose names were officially added last night. The memorial, which was dedicated in 1991, has more than 16,000 names of officers killed in the line of duty, dating back to the first known death in 1792, inscribed on its blue-gray marble walls.