County Council accepts report outlining King County Sheriff Deputy’s memorial

Recognition for those who have died in the line of duty

The King County Council Monday accepted a report detailing how King County will establish a memorial recognizing the 16 members of the King County Sheriff’s Office who have been killed in the line of duty since the department was established in 1852.

“It is extremely important for us to honor those courageous King County Sheriff’s Deputies who literally gave their lives in pursuit of public safety throughout our county’s long history,” said Council Chair Larry Gossett.  “A permanent memorial dedicated to these fallen officers will be an important remembrance of their ultimate sacrifice, and that of their families.”

The Sheriff's Office is King County’s first and longest serving law enforcement agency. The first sheriff deputy killed in the line of duty was in 1853, the most recent was in 2006. All 16 deputies are recognized both in Washington, D.C. as part of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and in Olympia, where they are listed on the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial. But there is no memorial in the county where the deputies lost their lives.

Last April, the Council adopted legislation calling on the Executive and the King County Sheriff to develop a proposal for the creation of a memorial recognizing fallen King County Sheriff deputies within the Courthouse. The plan directs the Sheriff’s Office to work with the County’s Facilities Management Division (FMD) to submit an image for the final design of the memorial for council approval.

The adopted motion acknowledges receipt of the report containing a plan to establish a memorial inside the County Courthouse. It details the design (granite or marble backdrop with glass plaques) and location (within the King County Courthouse and visible to those entering and exiting Courthouse) agreed to by the Sheriff’s Office and FMD. The motion also addresses the time needed for construction and the funding for the memorial.