The final stretch of a relay run among Nevada law enforcement officers that began in Las Vegas ended Wednesday in the state capital of Carson City, with a ceremony that will culminate Thursday noon at the Nevada capitol grounds.
The conclusion of the 400-plus mile run is part of the events surrounding the 17th annual Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony. The service will honor the 126 Nevada peace officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
The run began April 24 and was sectioned into 126 points, each representing those officers who died. The baton was passed off in from Douglas County along Highway 395 to the Carson City Sheriff's Office SWAT team, and additional runners led by Capt. Jeff Melvin and Sgt. James Primka.
In 1998 the memorial was dedicated on the capitol grounds in Carson City to recognize the ultimate sacrifice the officers made in service to their communities. The ceremony takes place between the capitol and legislative buildings.
The first officer killed in the line of duty was Carson County Nevada Territory Sheriff John L. Blackburn who was killed in 1861 while making an arrest.
The last officer killed in the line of duty was Officer David Vanbuskirk of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who died of injuries sustained while conducting a search and rescue mission on Mt. Charleston in Southern Nevada in August of 2013.
The service will begin with the presentation of colors by the combined Nevada Law Enforcement Honor Guard and the delivery of a runner’s baton.
This year, three officers will be honored at the memorial service. They are:
Officer David Vanbuskirk of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police who fell to his death from a helicopter July 23, 2013 while participating in a search and rescue mission for a stranded hiker on Mt. Charleston in Clark County. He fell while being hoisted into the helicopter.
Watchman John Montague of the Southern Pacific Railroad Police was on patrol at the rail yards in Reno when he was struck from behind by a switch engine. He was transported to the hospital and died Jan. 5, 1905.
Watchman Jose Sancebo, also of the Southern Pacific Railroad Police, was patrolling the rail road yards in Palisades when he was attacked and shot four times. He was transported to the hospital but died several hours later on Aug. 11, 1937.