Peace Officer Memorial honors the fallen

The names of each of the fallen law enforcement officers were read by Amber Martin, Heather Casey-Ockerman and Krysta Miller. A bell was rung by Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office personnel after each name.

The sheriff’s office maintains a Wall of Honor to remember the sacrifices offered by its deputies.

The most recent loss was Bonneville County Deputy Sheriff Wyatt C. Maser who died on May 18, 2020. He was “inadvertently struck by another responding deputy’s patrol vehicle on Bone Road, south of Lincoln Road, while attempting to take a suspect into custody for a felonious assault,” according to the plaque honoring his memory.

“He was going to be an excellent law enforcement officer. He was going to be an excellent deputy sheriff, and he was lost in his prime,” said Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse, who served alongside Maser. “But what we suffered as an agency was nothing compared to what his family has gone through. He was a tragic loss to us. We miss him every day, and we will never forget him.”

The sheriff said members of the department visited his gravesite on May 18 and shared stories about Maser.

“We want that to always happen. We want to make sure that when we’re gone, there’s still somebody standing there, still somebody standing here,” Hulse said.

Maser’s family was seated in places of honor at the ceremony.

“This is a tough week for all of us. My heart goes out to the family of Deputy Maser and our brothers and sisters with Bonneville County,” said Idaho Falls Police Capt. John Marley. “You never get over the pain of losing a loved one or a teammate; you just have to learn to live with it.”

The ceremony also commemorated three other local personnel. According to the Wall of Honor, Bonneville County Deputy Sheriff C. Neil Simpkins was killed in the line of duty during a shootout while serving a bootlegging warrant on June 2, 1924, leaving behind a wife and 10 children; Deputy Sheriff Harry P. Merrill drowned trying to recover a drowning victim at Fall Creek on the South Fork of the Snake River on June 16, 1938, leaving behind a wife and son; and K-9 Rick, a Belgian Malinois, was shot on June 5, 2002, along with a deputy who survived.

An honor guard composed of members of both agencies performed a flag ceremony and Taps.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Lt. Josh Fielding highlighted the dangers law enforcement officers face in the performance of their duties.

“As a law enforcement officer disconnects a telephone call from loved ones while on duty, having received a call to service, they may initially have a feeling of fear or doubt,” Fielding said. “This initial feeling is replaced with courage as they move toward the call for help from the citizenry they have sworn an oath to protect. Thoughts may swirl between their recollection of the phone call moments ago, and the many possible outcomes that may happen as they hurtle toward the unknown. There may be grim thoughts of paying the ultimate sacrifice, but they hurtle forward. This is what law enforcement officers face daily.”

The officers and deputies hope that their sacrifices will be remembered by members of the community.

“It is our duty to never forget the sacrifices of law enforcement officers in our community and throughout our nation,” Fielding said. “… It is up to us to pass on the legacy to the next generation.”