Law enforcement gather in Carson City to memorialize fallen officers, North Las Vegas detective
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 05/04/2017 - 2:25pm
Hundreds of Nevada law enforcement officers were in Carson City Thursday to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to memorialize a North Las Vegas Police detective who died earlier this year.
Memorialized at the State Capitol grounds was North Las Vegas Police Detective Chad Parque, who died Jan. 7, 2017 from injuries sustained in an auto accident while on duty. Parque is among 130 fallen Nevada law officers who have died in the line of duty.
Keynote speakers were Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson and Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell. North Las Vegas Chief of Police Alexander Perez did the official memorial dedication to Detective Parque, 32, a 10-year veteran of the police force.
Sandoval spoke of the duty and honor that Parque demonstrated as a peace officer.
“Every time I talk to a law enforcement officer, it is always the same response. ‘It’s simple: It’s what I do.’ Chad Parque answered that call. He was a young man with a young family whose interest in the Las Vegas Metro Explorers came before he could even drive a car.
“He worked hard and earned the rank of detective just last summer. We know that he changed the lives of many youth. And we know that because of his work, many lives were saved. Our state mourns a husband and a father whose commitment to service led him to making the ultimate sacrifice.
“Today we dedicate his memory as a demonstration of our heartfelt and steadfast appreciation for Chad and for all those who answer the call to serve and protect," the governor said.
“A person is what a person does and etched on this memorial is an important piece of our state’s history and a constant reminder that we still have heroes among us. Each name memorializes a Nevada hero and tells the story of a husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, son, daughter and friend.
“Only a few Nevadans take on the awesome responsibility of serving as a peace officer. This calling comes with great sacrifice and devotion, one that carries and commands the respect and appreciation of us all. This memorial stands as a lasting reminder of the inherent danger of law enforcement’s job and the resolute understanding that law enforcement is there to defend the defenseless and to help those in need,” said Sandoval.
During the 2016 ceremony, Carson City Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carl Howell was memorialized. Howell died in the line of duty Aug. 15, 2015 while responding to a domestic violence call. He was 35.
Between November 1861 and January 2017, 130 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in Nevada. The first officer killed was Territorial Sheriff John L. Blackburn who suffered fatal stab wounds while trying to arrest a suspect in Carson City on Nov. 28, 1861.
On Wednesday night, the names of all fallen peace officers killed in the line duty throughout state history were read in a public gathering capped by a blue laser light program that cut through the clear Northern Nevada night sky. The blue light is symbolic of the Thin Blue Line that describes the commitment and dedication that peace officers have shown in risking their lives to save others.
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