Las Vegas to Carson City: 450-mile run begins to honor fallen officers

By Tiffany Gibson

Thursday, April 29, 2010 | noon

Nevada police officers completed the first leg of the 11th annual, 450-mile Law Enforcement Memorial Run this morning in honor of 114 officers who have died in the line of duty in Nevada.

A commencement ceremony for the run was held today at the Police Memorial Park, 3250 Metro Academy Way, in the northwest valley. It’s scheduled to end May 6 at the Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Carson City in conjunction with National Police Memorial Week.

Nine law enforcement officers have died in Nevada in the past 12 months.

Run Chairman Dick Clark said more than 120 Nevada law enforcement officers will carry batons that have the names of fallen officers written on a scroll inside. The Southern Nevada team began today and will run to Tonopah, then hand off to the northern team, which will finish the run to Carson City. A Nevada Highway Patrol car will follow them for protection.

The batons will be presented to the families of the nine victims at a memorial service at the end of the run.

Several officers at the ceremony were suited in running gear, ready to hit the trail. Sheriff Doug Gillespie said the runners should reflect on the fallen officers during relay.

“The sobering reality is how dangerous our profession is,” Gillespie said. “We haven’t forgotten them. (The run) has always been a time to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Gillespie said Southern Nevada lost six officers in the last 12 months, including Nye County Deputy Ian Deutch, who died at University Medical Center on Monday after being shot several times at the Terrible’s Lakeside Casino and RV in Pahrump.

Boulder City Police Chief Thomas Finn said officers should remember Deutch even though his name hasn’t been included in the baton scrolls this year. Officials said Deutch’s name would be added to the list during next year’s run.

The route was split into 113 segments – one segment for each officer whose name was on the list before Deutch’s death this week.

The other Southern Nevada officers killed in the past 12 months were James Manor, Milburn Beitel, Trevor Nettleton, Daniel Leach and Stanley Cooper.

Manor was killed in a crash May 7, 2009, while responding to a domestic violence call. Beitel and Leach also died in vehicle crashes in fall 2009.

Nettleton and Cooper were fatally shot during exchanges of gunfire. Police said Nettleton was fatally shot in his North Las Vegas home Nov. 19. Cooper, a retired Metro officer, was killed Jan. 4 in a shooting at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas Police Chief Joseph Forti said he has participated in the run for several years because it reassures officers’ families that they are not forgotten for their service.

“A lot of people think we forget but we never forget,” Forti said. “I know I’ll never forget you brothers and sisters.”