The first Harford County sheriff’s deputy to die in the line of duty was given special recognition in Bel Air this week.

Courtland Place, home to the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, will now also be known as Deputy Bateman Way, as a tribute to the county’s first deputy to die in the line of duty, Frank Bateman. He was shot 125 years ago while trying to apprehend a suspect, according to the sheriff’s office.

Bateman was trying to “apprehend a wanted man” lost in the line of duty on June 10, 1899, when he was shot, said the Sheriff’s Office. He was “able to return the fire, mortally wounding the suspect.”

The sheriff’s office unveiled the ornate Bateman Way street sign Tuesday night during its annual memorial ceremony.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that the tribute “serves as a lasting reminder of the enduring legacy of all our fallen heroes. It will stand here for generations to come.”

The ceremony also honored all seven of the officers who have died in the line of duty during Harford’s history, including senior deputies Patrick Dailey and Mark Logsdon, who were gunned down in 2016 after trying to serve a warrant on a suspect at Abingdon’s Panera Bread.

“It’s been a discussion for quite some time as to how best honor our first fallen hero,” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Cristie Hopkins said. “Deputy Bateman was killed in the line of duty, only a few blocks from where our headquarters sits. It seems fitting to dedicate a section of road, close to headquarters, as a constant reminder of his sacrifice.”

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