Resolution renaming the Lebanon post office after police Lt. William Lebo signed by Biden

The Lebanon City Post Office will soon bear the name of fallen police Lt. William Lebo after a resolution honoring his sacrifice was signed by President Joe Biden.

On May 7, Biden signed House Resolution 3865, which would rename the 101 South 8th St. post office as the "Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office Building.”

Lebo was shot and killed in the line of duty March 31, 2022.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, who introduced the bill, said Lt. Lebo's four decades of service stand as a testament to his profound commitment to the city of Lebanon.

"Renaming the post office in (Lebo's) beloved hometown will serve as a lasting tribute to his extraordinary life and legacy of service," he said in a release. "This legislation was a small gesture compared to the enormity of Lt. Lebo’s contributions to his community. I thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for unanimously supporting this effort. Together, we honor the memory of a dedicated public servant whose indelible mark on the Lebanon community will be remembered for generations to come.”

H.R. 3865 was co-sponsored by Pennsylvania’s entire House delegation, according to Meuser's staff. The resolution received overwhelming bipartisan support, passing unanimously in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Meuser's announcement coincides with National Police Week, which runs from Sunday, May 12, through Saturday, May 18.

In January, Lebo's wife, Lora, and mother, Rina, Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello and Police Chief Bret Fisher stood in the U.S. House of Representatives when they passed the resolution renaming the post office.

“William’s mother and I are so incredibly happy to have a permanent reminder to the community of his 40 years of service and his life-long commitment to Lebanon County," Laura Lebo said in a release from Meuser's office. "We hope that it will serve as a reminder that police are here to protect us, and each of them dedicate their lives to serving the public.”

In 2022, Lebo, Officer Derek Underkoffler, Officer Ryan Adams, and Officer Kris McCarrick were responding to a domestic disturbance report. Lebo died in a shootout with a man who had broken into a home on the 1100 block of Forest Street.

Lebo had more than 40 years of service and was 30 days from retirement.

The Lt. William D. Lebo Memorial Foundation was created to honor the Lebanon City Police officer's memory. Over the last year the foundation's contributions included providing $18,000 to the Lebanon City Police Department for a new K9 officer.

During a memorial service in March, Lebanon City Police Chief Bret Fisher said that Lt. Lebo was one of those "old school, walk the beat kind of cops."

"(Lt. Lebo) would watch young officers progress in their career," Fisher told the Lebanon Daily News. "He would help you if he seen you struggling a little bit. He wouldn't rescue you right way. He knew the value of a little bit of struggle to learn something, especially in police work."

Both Fisher and Capello said in the release that renaming the Lebanon Post Office after Lt. Lebo was a fitting tribute to his many years of service with the Lebanon Police Department.

“Lt. William Lebo paid the ultimate sacrifice for his community," Capello said. "While renaming a post office could never fully repay this sacrifice, it will serve to honor his legacy of service to the City of Lebanon.”

U.S. Senator Bob Casey introduced a similar bill, S. 2758, in the Senate on Sept. 11, 2023.

“Lieutenant William Lebo served his community honorably for 40 years and gave the ultimate sacrifice," he said in an email to the Lebanon Daily News. "I worked to rename this post office to honor his legacy of valor and service and so generations to come will know his bravery.”

A dedication ceremony will be planned in the future in coordination with the Lebo family, according to Meuser's office.

To donate or volunteer for the William Lebo Memorial Foundation, visit the organization's website at ltwdlebo.org.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: It's official: Lebanon PA post office to be named for Lt. William Lebo