“Without a doubt, this is the worst day in the history of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department”, is the way Sheriff Lou Blanas described the tragic event on July 13 that took the lives of two of his veteran, most respected deputies. Joseph Michael Kievernagel and Kevin Patrick Blount. The Department had never lost two officers in the Line of Duty in the same year, so to lose two officers the same day, in the same tragic incident, was especially traumatic and appalling.

The Departmental Citation that awarded the “Purple Heart”, posthumously to Deputies Kievernagel and Blount appropriately describes the tragic incident that took the two deputies lives, “on Wednesday evening, July 13, 2005, Deputies Joseph Kievernagel, Kevin Blount and Eric Henrikson took off from Mather Air Field in Star 6, one of the Sheriff’s Department’s EC-120 American Eurocopters. Joe was piloting the ship and Kevin was in the Observer seat. Eric, who was training as an Observer, was in the rear seat. Their mission, as always, was to assist ground units who were patrolling the streets of Sacramento.

Sacramento was experiencing one of its historically hot summer evenings. This could either be good or bad for law enforcement. It could remain quiet or tempers and drinking could erupt into an incident that could turn the night into an ugly scene for officers in the air and on the ground. The helicopter would be there leading the way. This is something they are always prepared for. This is the type of incident that makes our helicopter personnel so valuable. They are truly our eyes in the sky. They can see the big picture, evaluate the situation and report to fellow officers responding on the ground.

This evening, July 13th, Joe was flying over the Lake Natoma recreation area after they had responded to a routine burglary call at a Folsom business. The lake and surrounding beaches were filled with people trying to get relief from the sweltering heat. Pilot and crew were checking to make sure everything looked safe on the waterway before they continued to patrol. What happened next will be in the minds and hearts of the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department forever. Star 6 went down. Witnesses claimed to have heard a loud popping sound and seeing flames shooting from the rear of the helicopter. Some of the observers on the ground said that it seemed that the pilot was trying desperately to steady the ship. Minutes later the helicopter crashed into the hillside. Deputies Joe Kievernagel and Kevin Blount lost their lives in the crash. Deputy Eric Henrikson was critically injured. Joe and Kevin, longtime friends, dedicated to the art of flying and protection of this community were taken from us within moments. Beat partners while assigned to Patrol, they were described as teacher, pupil, and friend. Two guys who had achieved their ultimate career goal—working the skies over Sacramento, helping their fellow officers on the ground. Both officers were highly regarded for their professionalism and expertise in the law enforcement profession they both loved.

Catastrophic engine failure brought down Star 6. We know Joe and Kevin did everything in their power to land that helicopter safely, away from the crowds of people gathered at the lake. “They truly are and will remain our heroes in the sky. They cannot be replaced. They can only be remembered….and remember we will”.

The third deputy on board the helicopter, Eric Henrikson, remains in critical condition at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

Joe Kievernagel and Kevin Blount had dissimilar personalities, but were best friends and very close. So close, that fellow deputies often referred to them as “Bat Man and Robin”.

Under Sheriff John McGinness, a friend of both deputies, had flown with Deputy Kievernagel on numerous occasions and described him as “an outstanding pilot, the best you can get”. Reaching out to grieving members of his Department McGinness observed “If you look for solace, know that these were men who had absolutely found an opportunity to provide noble service in an environment where they had a passion that few others anywhere have a chance to enjoy”. Both deputies repeatedly indicated that their long term goal was to work together as a team, never leaving their beloved helicopter. Without prompting, Kevin Blount would inform family and friends, “I can’t believe that they pay me to do this job I love so much”. Joe Kievernagel, without hesitation, would concur.

In the days following the untimely deaths of the two “heroes in the sky” there was an outpouring of devotion and support never before witnessed in Sacramento County.

On the morning of July 20, several thousand uniformed peace officers representing a myriad of jurisdictions in California, the adjoining States, and from as far away as Hampshire, England, joined family members, friends and co-workers at the St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Rancho Cordova to pay their final respects to two of California’s finest. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who has attended virtually all of the law enforcement funerals during his tenure, was once again in attendance offering condolences on behalf of the people of California. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante and a number of local elected officials were also in attendance.

A miles-long caravan of more than 600 law enforcement vehicles escorted the two heroes from the church to their final rest. Along the route, the streets were crowded with mourners, waving or holding American Flags, hands over their hearts, or saluting as the procession passed.

Flags at the State Capitol and in Sacramento County were ordered to be flown at half staff in memoriam.

Deputy Kievernagel is survived by his wife Iris. Deputy Blount was not married and is survived by his father Thomas and mother Kathleen.

“Without a doubt, this is the worst day in the history of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department”, is the way Sheriff Lou Blanas described the tragic event on July 13 that took the lives of two of his veteran, most respected deputies. Joseph Michael Kievernagel and Kevin Patrick Blount. The Department had never lost two officers in the Line of Duty in the same year, so to lose two officers the same day, in the same tragic incident, was especially traumatic and appalling.

The Departmental Citation that awarded the “Purple Heart”, posthumously to Deputies Kievernagel and Blount appropriately describes the tragic incident that took the two deputies lives, “on Wednesday evening, July 13, 2005, Deputies Joseph Kievernagel, Kevin Blount and Eric Henrikson took off from Mather Air Field in Star 6, one of the Sheriff’s Department’s EC-120 American Eurocopters. Joe was piloting the ship and Kevin was in the Observer seat. Eric, who was training as an Observer, was in the rear seat. Their mission, as always, was to assist ground units who were patrolling the streets of Sacramento.

Sacramento was experiencing one of its historically hot summer evenings. This could either be good or bad for law enforcement. It could remain quiet or tempers and drinking could erupt into an incident that could turn the night into an ugly scene for officers in the air and on the ground. The helicopter would be there leading the way. This is something they are always prepared for. This is the type of incident that makes our helicopter personnel so valuable. They are truly our eyes in the sky. They can see the big picture, evaluate the situation and report to fellow officers responding on the ground.

This evening, July 13th, Joe was flying over the Lake Natoma recreation area after they had responded to a routine burglary call at a Folsom business. The lake and surrounding beaches were filled with people trying to get relief from the sweltering heat. Pilot and crew were checking to make sure everything looked safe on the waterway before they continued to patrol. What happened next will be in the minds and hearts of the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department forever. Star 6 went down. Witnesses claimed to have heard a loud popping sound and seeing flames shooting from the rear of the helicopter. Some of the observers on the ground said that it seemed that the pilot was trying desperately to steady the ship. Minutes later the helicopter crashed into the hillside. Deputies Joe Kievernagel and Kevin Blount lost their lives in the crash. Deputy Eric Henrikson was critically injured. Joe and Kevin, longtime friends, dedicated to the art of flying and protection of this community were taken from us within moments. Beat partners while assigned to Patrol, they were described as teacher, pupil, and friend. Two guys who had achieved their ultimate career goal—working the skies over Sacramento, helping their fellow officers on the ground. Both officers were highly regarded for their professionalism and expertise in the law enforcement profession they both loved.

Catastrophic engine failure brought down Star 6. We know Joe and Kevin did everything in their power to land that helicopter safely, away from the crowds of people gathered at the lake. they truly are and will remain our heroes in the sky. They cannot be replaced. They can only be remembered….and remember we will”.

The third deputy on board the helicopter, Eric Henrikson, remains in critical condition at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

Joe Kievernagel and Kevin Blount had dissimilar personalities, but were best friends and very close. So close, that fellow deputies often referred to them as “Bat Man and Robin”.

Under Sheriff John McGinness, a friend of both deputies, had flown with Deputy Kievernagel on numerous occasions and described him as “an outstanding pilot, the best you can get”. Reaching out to grieving members of his Department McGinness observed “If you look for solace, know that these were men who had absolutely found an opportunity to provide noble service in an environment where they had a passion that few others anywhere have a chance to enjoy”. Both deputies repeatedly indicated that their long term goal was to work together as a team, never leaving their beloved helicopter. Without prompting, Kevin Blount would inform family and friends, “I can’t believe that they pay me to do this job I love so much”. Joe Kievernagel, without hesitation, would concur.

In the days following the untimely deaths of the two “heroes in the sky” there was an outpouring of devotion and support never before witnessed in Sacramento County.

On the morning of July 20, several thousand uniformed peace officers representing a myriad of jurisdictions in California, the adjoining States, and from as far away as Hampshire, England, joined family members, friends and co-workers at the St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Rancho Cordova to pay their final respects to two of California’s finest. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who has attended virtually all of the law enforcement funerals during his tenure, was once again in attendance offering condolences on behalf of the people of California. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante and a number of local elected officials were also in attendance.

A miles-long caravan of more than 600 law enforcement vehicles escorted the two heroes from the church to their final rest. Along the route, the streets were crowded with mourners, waving or holding American Flags, hands over their hearts, or saluting as the procession passed.

Flags at the State Capitol and in Sacramento County were ordered to be flown at half staff in memoriam.

Deputy Kievernagel is survived by his wife Iris. Deputy Blount was not married and is survived by his father Thomas and mother Kathleen.

“Dedicated, tireless, crime fighter,” “Role model,” “Mentor,” “Hero,” are only a few of the accolades used to describe Jerry Ortiz, the peace officer, the man. On June 24, this 35 year-old 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ Department,” who could light up a room with his smile,” laid down his life in the Line of Duty.

On that fateful day, Deputy Ortiz who was assigned to a gang suppression unit at Lakewood Station, was conducting a follow-up investigation searching for a suspect wanted for attempted murder. Ortiz was standing in the doorway of an apartment located in the City of Hawaiian Gardens questioning a woman who had answered the door, when a man brandishing a handgun suddenly appeared from behind the woman, and without warning fired one round which struck Ortiz in the head. The shooter, later identified as Jose Luis Orozco (27), an ex-convict gang member with an extensive criminal record fled the scene. Deputy Ortiz mortally wounded was transported via helicopter to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Several square blocks surrounding the scene of the shooting were cordoned off and a massive manhunt for the suspect was undertaken. Several hours after the search began Jose Luis Orozco was located and arrested at a residence three blocks from the shooting cowering in a bathtub. He will be charged with the murder of a peace officer, a crime calling for the death penalty, if convicted.

Deputy Jerry Ortiz was being praised by his peers and superiors as “a highly motivated professional who invariably arrived early and stayed late”. An outstanding member of the Sheriff’s boxing team, he was admired for his courage and tenacity, both inside and outside of the ring. Attesting to his courage as a peace officer, Ortiz had aggressively pursued an assignment to the Department’s “Gang Detail,” a dangerous assignment where he had spent the last five years. Just a year ago he had been awarded the Departments’ Medal of Honor after he fatally shot a carjacker who had drawn a gun on he and his partner, a further example of his exemplary conduct under fire.

Sadly, almost unbelievably, the Ortiz family had suffered a second tragedy in less than six months. On January 10, Correctional Peace Officer Manuel A. Gonzales, Jr. was stabbed to death while on duty at CIM, the Chino State Prison. Gonzales was Jerry’s brother-in-law. Compounding the double tragedy was the fact that Jerry and his new wife, Chela, had been married for less than three weeks.

On the morning of June 30, a memorial mass befitting a true hero, Deputy Jerry Ortiz, was conducted by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles.

Outgoing Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, incoming Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, District Attorney Steve Cooley, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton joined more than 6,000 law enforcement officers from California and adjoining States for the two-hour service conducted by Cardinal Mahony.

In a final tribute to the fallen officer, flags at the State Capitol and in the City of Los Angeles were being flown at half-staff.

The motorcade escorting the remains of Jerry Ortiz from the Cathedral to final rest at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles was so large, with more than 2,000 vehicles, that it took the motorcade more than 90 minutes to make the five-mile trip.

Deputy Jerry Ortiz is survived by his new bride, Chela, and two sons from a previous marriage, Jeremy (16) and Jacob (6).

A Trust Fund was established in the name of the Ortiz family, No. 285. Contributions should be mailed to Sheriff’s Relief Association, Star Center, 11515 Colima Rd., Whittier, CA 90604.

“Born to serve” could have very easily been the personal motto of Greg Gariepy. He was born two days before the Fourth of July in the Army Hospital in Wurzburg, Germany, where his father was serving in the U. S. Army. As young man Greg probably counted the days until his eighteenth birthday, to a day when he could join the United States Marine Corps and begin serving his Country.

For the next twenty years Greg did serve his Country with distinction as a U.S. Marine, in a number of assignments, retiring in 1983 with the coveted rank of “Gunnery Sergeant”. His personnel file was filled to capacity with awards, decorations and commendations for meritorious service. The assignments that Greg was most proud of included:

– Serving on the Presidential Honor Guard
– Drill Instructor, Paris Island, North Carolina
– Member of a sniper unit in Hawaii
– Anti-terrorism expert and instructor, Newport Rhode Island.

Retiring from the Marine Corps, Greg Gariepy was still a young man with an insatiable desire to serve his community. Assigned to the Marine Corps Base in Twenty-Nine Palms at the time, an area served by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, he decided to continue his service to the Community by joining the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy. Needless to say, the Department was delighted to have this mature, tested individual come aboard.

On the early morning of June 22, less than two years after joining the Sheriff’s Department Deputy Gariepy was responding to back-up a fellow Deputy, traveling on a lonely stretch of Highway 247 in the Morongo Valley. For reasons unknown his vehicle left the roadway, and flipped several times. He was transported to the High Desert Medical Center where he died as a result of his injuries.

Greg Gariepy was remembered by his friends and colleagues as a true public servant. Randy Warfield, one of Greg’s fellow deputies, lamented “he was a warrior who saw a community that still needed his help. He could have stopped. He could have laid on the cool grass by the still water and said “I’ve done enough”. Instead, rushing to protect and defend, Greg Gariepy died, and we all grieve”.

At noon, on Saturday June 25 several hundred Marines, fellow deputies and peace officers from a multitude of jurisdictions gathered at the Protestant Church located on the Marine Corps Base in Twenty Nine Palms to pay their final respects to a man who was “Born to Serve”.

Interment was private.

Greg leaves his wife Mishelle, daughters Annette Chancellor and Brooke, and a son Brett.

A trust fund was set up for the family at Pomona First Federal Bank, C/0 Greg Gariepy, 6323 Adobe Road, Twenty-Nine Palms, and CA 92277

The Los Angeles World Airport Police in Los Angeles had not lost an officer in The Line of Duty in the 59-year history of the Department. On April 29 that would all change, when Officer Tommy Edward Scott would lay down his life and California law enforcement would suffer the loss of its fourth line of duty death in year 2005.

Officer Scott was on routine patrol on Lincoln Boulevard adjacent to the North perimeter of the airport when he stopped to question a pedestrian, later identified as 46-year old William Sadowski, of Venice. Witnesses said there was a struggle between the two. The suspect was somehow able to gain control of Officer Scott’s police car, driving away at a high rate of speed, with Officer Scott hanging onto the driver’s side door. As Scott tried to regain control of the police car, it crashed into a fire hydrant, killing Scott instantly.

Sadowski abandoned the police vehicle, then tried to carjack one vehicle unsuccessfully, before seizing another. He drove that vehicle only a short distance before crashing it into and over the airport’s perimeter fence. The vehicle rolled over and trapped Sadowski inside. The fire department responded and transported Sadowski to a local emergency hospital. Upon his release Sadowski was booked at the Los Angeles County Jail charged with murder of a police officer.

Tommy Scott was born and raised in Los Angeles. He had been employed as an Aquatic Supervisor for the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation for 15 years before joining the Airport Police in October 2001.

Officer Tommy Scott was apparently one of those rare individuals who never met a stranger.

Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Kim Day said, “Officer Scott was a very professional, capable and respected police officer who was well liked by everyone at the airport. As we try to come to terms with this loss, our thoughts turn to the many remarkable men and women, who choose to dedicate their lives in law enforcement service in Los Angeles and throughout our Country”.

“Officer Scott was one of the most respected and admired officers on our Force”, said Airport Police Chief Bernard J. Wilson. He presented the face of Airport Police, as it should be. He was an outstanding officer who advanced quickly to become a field-training officer and a role model for other officers”.

At the direction of Mayor James Hahn the flags at City Hall were being flown at half-staff in memory of the fallen hero. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger followed suit at the State Capitol, offering his condolences to the Scott family.

On the morning of May 6, our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in the Los Angeles Civic Center was filled to overflowing with several thousand mourners; family, friends, and peace officers from a myriad of jurisdictions statewide, all come to pay their final respect. A miles long procession of police vehicles escorted the fallen hero to his final resting-place at Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn.

Tommy Edward Scott is survived by his father Hubert Scott. Stepmother Jo Ann Carter Scott and his older brother Hubert Scott, Jr.

Larry Lasater, a 36 year-old Pittsburg police officer was described by everyone who may have had the good fortune to know him as “an All-American guy”. He had earned a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the University of California at Davis in 1993, prior to entering the U.S. marine Corps as an Officer Candidate in 1994. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Lasater devoted the next six years of his life to the Marine Corps and his Country attaining the rank of Captain as a Tank Commander.

Lasater left a promising career in the Marine Corps to return to the stability of civilian life and raise a family. In April, 2002 he joined the Pittsburg Police Department, where, three years later; he would tragically lay down his life in the Line of Duty, dying a true hero. Pittsburg Police Chief Aaron Baker indicated that he, his Department and the entire community were devastated at the loss of Larry Lasater. “This latest tragic loss has compounded the grieving still being felt as the result of the Line of Duty death of our Inspector Ray Giacomelli just two years ago”, observed the Chief.

On the evening of April 23, officers of the Pittsburg Police Department responded to an “armed robbery in progress” call at a local Raley’s Super Market that housed a branch of the Wells Fargo Bank.

The two young perpetrators of the robbery left the scene in their vehicle, driving erratically, lost control of the vehicle and crashed. One of the suspects, later identified as 19 year-old Alexander Rashad Hamilton of Antioch, fled the vehicle on foot pursued by Officer Larry Lasater.

Officer Lasater located the suspect hiding in some bushes and ordered him to come out. The officers’ order to surrender resulted in gunfire from Hamilton, two of the rounds striking and critically wounding Lasater.

Hamilton, armed with a semi-automatic handgun, surrendered to officers backing up Lasater. The second suspect, a 17 year-old, whose name was withheld, was taken into custody a short distance away without incident.

The critically wounded officer was transported to the John Muir Medical Facility in Walnut Creek, where he underwent several hours of intensive surgery in an attempt to save his life. All efforts having failed, Lasater was placed on life support, support being withdrawn on April 25.

The two individuals involved in the armed robbery that resulted in the death of Officer Lasater were being charged with armed robbery and murder of a peace officer. A demand was being made that the 17 year-old perpetrator be tried as an adult.

Lt. Mike Burton of the Contra Coast County Sheriff’s Department, who runs the local police training academy recalled Cadet Larry Lasater as “one of the best, if not the best” police recruit he had ever seen. Lt. Burton lamented, “here’s a guy doing a hero’s job, and he got dead doing it, and it’s a tragedy”. A fellow Marine Corps officer described Lasater as “absolutely fearless”, joining many others in praising the fallen hero.

On the morning of January 26, 2005, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy James P. Tutino was killed while providing passenger security on a Metrolink train traveling into the Los Angeles Civic Center from Ventura County. Deputy Tutino was one of 11 people killed when a suicidal man parked his SUV on railroad tracks in Glendale, then changed his mind and ran before the train hit. As the train toppled off the tracks, it struck a northbound commuter train and a parked Union Pacific locomotive. More than 200 other citizens were injured. The suspect was arrested a short time later and charged with arson and 11 counts of homicide.

Before Tutino was removed from the train, a firefighter retrieved a flag and draped it over him. As rescue workers carried his body away, two lines of deputies, police, and firefighters formed and saluted.

Deputy Tutino worked at one of the country’s toughest jails doing outreach with incarcerated gang members. He was considered the resident expert in his field. Tutino’s supervisor and friend, Lt. Roger Ross, who worked with Tutino for 12 years, said that he had lost a “partner, a best friend, a brother and a teacher.” The department also lost one of its best cops. “He was an almanac of gang information…without hesitation he could name the main players in each group and their rap sheet like a sports fan can name players on his favorite team and all their stats,” Ross said. “Jim was a crook’s therapist…he showed them respect and he got that respect back…Jim knew that in order to defeat the enemy you had to understand them first.”

But when his day at the jail was done, Tutino loved returning to Simi to coach Pioneer football, something he’d done for the past 10 years. There he was Coach T, but his philosophy was the same: give respect and get it back. He treated his players like young men, and he never lost sight of the fact that it was still just kids playing a game.

On the day of his funeral, more than 700 people filled St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Westlake Village, while a thousand more waited outside. “As I got up to do my eulogy I looked out and all I could see was a sea of green and tan. That alone brought tears to my eyes,” said Tony Tutino, Jim’s brother and a Ventura County Deputy Sheriff who followed his older brother into law enforcement. “It’s a special brotherhood that he was a part of.”

Deputy James P. Tutino is survived by his wife Rita; sons James Jr. and Nicholas; stepchildren Tera, Colby, and Kristen; parents Don and Maureen, brother Tony, and sister Jill.

On the morning of January 10, 2005 Correctional Peace Officer Manuel A. Gonzalez, Jr., 43 years old, a 16 year veteran of the Department of Corrections, was stabbed to death by an inmate at CIM – Chino, while he was routinely distributing sack lunches.

Although it is believed that three associates of the “East Coast Crips Gang” were involved in the unprovoked attack on Gonzalez, the principal assailant was identified as Jon Blaylock (35), a career “third strike” convict, who had been sentenced to 75 years in prison in June, 2004 for the attempted murder of a peace officer.

The Department of corrections had not lost an officer in The Line of Duty dating back to 1985, but the tragic death of CPO Gonzalez brought to mind the oft quoted tribute to California’s Correctional Peace Officers, coined by Don Novey, the long tenured President of the California Correctional Peace Officers’ Association. Without hesitation, Don would proclaim that his 30,000 members “walk the toughest beat in the State”. When challenged by some “street” or “line” peace officer, Don would typically invite them to trade places with one of his courageous constituents working within the walls of our prisons; constantly on the alert, watching their backs, victims of assaults unheard of on the “streets”, doing tougher time than the inmates. “So far, no takers”, Don would proudly announce.

Sadly, the circumstances surrounding the death of CPO Manuel Gonzalez gave rise to a number of questions being asked by fellow officers and members of the State Legislature. Why had he not been issued a protective vest in a timely fashion, a vest which might have saved his life? Why had inmate Blaylock, the convict who took Gonzalez life not been transferred to a more secure prison in a timely fashion, as required by Department guidelines? These and other questions will be subject of review by the Legislature.

Fellow officers praised Gonzalez as “a true professional who never lost his cool. He was always there to help a fellow officer”. A female CPO who had worked with Gonzalez said that he always made her feel secure. “He was very sure of himself. When he walked in, you knew he was in control”, she said.

On the morning of January 17, more than 2,000 mourners; family members, friends and fellow peace officers, many from out of State, gathered at Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Whittier to pay their final respects to one of California’s true heroes.

State Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez, a former State Parole Agent and personal friend of Gonzalez delivered the eulogy and praised him as an “outstanding public servant”.

A massive funeral procession, with police vehicles representing a myriad of jurisdictions escorted CPO Manuel A. Gonzalez, Jr. to his final resting place, Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello.

Officer Gonzalez is survived by his wife Sylvia and six children.

The City of Ceres, California was incorporated in 1918. In the 86 year history of the City their police department had not lost an officer killed in The Line of Duty.

On the evening of January 9, 2005, that all changed. Officers Sam Ryno (49), a twenty year veteran of the Ceres P.D., accompanied by a trainee, responded to a call of a suspicious person armed with a rifle acting strangely in front of a local liquor store. Upon their arrival at the scene, Officer Ryno and his partner were met with a hail of gunfire from an SKS assault rifle. It was an ambush. Officer Ryno was severely wounded, but his partner escaped uninjured.

Responding to an urgent call for assistance, Sgt. Howard “Howie” Stevenson (39) an eighteen-year veteran of the Department was also ambushed and met with a hail of gunfire from an assault rifle upon his arrival at the scene. Sgt. Stevenson died almost instantly from bullet wounds to his upper body. Officer Ryno was transported to the Memorial Medical Center where his condition was described as “critical, but stable”. His prognosis for recovery was described as “good”.

A CHP helicopter, SWAT teams and officers from virtually every agency surrounding the City of Ceres converged on the scene. A massive manhunt for the shooter was mounted. A one-mile square area of the City was cordoned off and a house-to-house search for the suspect began.

Shortly before midnight, the suspect, later identified as Andres Raya (19), a U.S. Marine on leave from Camp Pendleton, but a known gang member, jumped a fence and confronted a number of officers in an alley. Gunfire was exchanged and Raya was hit several times and pronounced dead at the scene. None of the officers were injured.

Following the tragic events of January 9 the members of the Ceres P.D. and numerous residents of the small, tight knit community were in a state of shock. More than one observed that “losing a member of our police department is like losing a member of our own family”. Sgt. “Howie” Stevenson was remembered affectionately by his fellow officers as a role model and mentor to younger officers, “a Cops’ Cop”.

On the morning of January 18, more than 2,000 mourners, mostly peace offices from jurisdictions statewide and from as far away as Boise, Idaho gathered at the First Baptist Church in Modesto to pay their final respects to a fallen hero.

Chief Art De Werk eulogized “Howie” Stevenson in glowing terms and concluded his remarks with “and to you Howie: Secure your gun and hang up your duty belt. You’ve made the difficult sacrifice as a hero, dying in the service of your fellow man. You are cleared of your watch”.

A mile long procession of police cars, motorcycles, fire engines and ambulances escorted the cremated remains of Sgt. “Howie” Stevenson to a final resting-place in Lakewood Memorial Park, Hughson.

In honor of a fallen hero flags that fly over the State Capitol were being flown at half-staff, as were the flags in the City of Ceres and Stanislaus County.

“Howie” leaves a wife Kathy, daughters Megan and Mikeala and a son Bryce.

A trust fund has been established for the Stevenson family. Contributions can be made at any West America Bank, reference Account No. 2219-01984-8

Deputy Daniel L. Archuleta died a hero, responding to back-up a fellow Deputy. On the afternoon of September 12, one of Deputy Archuleta’s brother Deputies had responded to a call in the West Kern County Town of Tupman, and due to the nature of the call he requested immediate assistance. Archuleta was answering the call when his patrol car left the roadway and over-turned, minutes away from the scene of the call for back-up. Another Deputy, also responding, found Archuleta’s badly damaged Sheriff’s vehicle, with Archuleta’s lifeless body lying near-by. A special investigative unit of the California Highway Patrol immediately began to reconstruct the cause of the accident.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Department had employed Dan Archuleta for less than two years at the time of his untimely death. Prior to joining the Department in October 2002 he had served as a Deputy for twenty months with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Assigned to the custody division as a jailer, Dan opted to move laterally to Kern County, where he could more rapidly attain his goal of becoming actively involved in law enforcement as a Patrol Deputy. In his new career in Kern County, Archuleta was assigned temporarily to the Courts, finally attaining his goal as a field deputy assigned to the Taft Sub-station in May, 2003.

Daniel Lee Archuleta was born and raised in Southern California in the Huntington Beach, Seal Beach area. Following graduation from high school he attended Golden West College where he received an Associate of Arts Degree. Ever anxious to succeed, in 1999 he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Bakersfield.

At a news conference following Archuleta’s death, Kern County Sheriff Mack Wimbish described Dan as “A shooting star just getting started in his career”. South Sub-station Commander Alberta Dougherty praised Archuleta as “A stellar young man, professional, ethical and prone to hustle on the job”. “He was the kind of man you’d like to clone, both professionally and ethically”, she added. One Deputy expressed the feelings of many, describing Dan Archuleta as “an all-American guy, in love with his family and job. Upon meeting him for the first time, you couldn’t help but like him”.

In honor and memory of this great young peace officer, flags were being flown at half-staff in Kern County, as well as those that are displayed at the State Capitol.

On the early afternoon of September 17 family, friends, fellow Deputies, and civic leaders were joined by several hundred peace officers representing a myriad of law enforcement agencies Statewide at the Riverlakes Community Church in Bakersfield, paying their final respects to one of California’s finest.

Dan was eulogized warmly and affectionately by his widow Laura. Sheriff Wimbish again paid his Deputy highest praise, “If God has a police force, I’m certain Dan is doing his duty in Heaven as he did on earth”.

Following law enforcement tradition, an impressive motorcade escorted the remains of a true hero from the church to his final resting-place, the Court of Honor at Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Deputy Daniel L. Archuleta is survived by his wife Laura and his two daughters, Victoria, 5 years old, and Isabella, 3 years old.

Donations in support of the family may be made to the “Daniel L. Archuleta Memorial Fund” at any branch of the Washington Mutual Bank.