Fallen Basin lawmen honored at Olympia memorial

OLYMPIA — Every day, thousands of law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and head out to protect Washington state. Most of the time, they come back. But sometimes they don’t. 

One hundred forty-seven law enforcement officers died in the line of duty last year in the U.S., according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. In 1995, Washington became the 36th state to create a memorial to commemorate those officers. The Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial faces the state Capitol in Olympia, set on time of a hill overlooking Capitol Lake, and lists the name of every Washington officer who gave their life in the line of duty. This year, that memorial turns 20 years old. 

“It's a space where survivors, as well as the community, can come together and remember those officers and their legacies in their communities,” said Rion Haber, a spokesman for the Behind the Badge Foundation, which built the memorial and donated it to the state. 

The memorial lists 346 officers dating back to the late 19th century, five of whom are from the Columbia Basin, according to Behind the Badge’s online roll call. 

On Jan. 3, 2010, Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy John Bernard had just cleared a call when his vehicle rolled at State Route 283 and Road 5 Northwest south of Ephrata. Bernard’s death was the first in GCSO history.  

“Deputy John Bernard was a great deputy, husband and father,” then-Sheriff Tom Jones said at the unveiling of a memorial to Bernard at the Grant County Courthouse in 2012. 

Almost 11 years later, in December 2020, GCSO Deputy Jon Melvin died from complications of COVID-19, to which he was believed to have been exposed while on duty. Melvin had served for 35 years, according to Columbia Basin Herald archives, and was due to retire in a few months. 

“Deputy Melvin was a well-rounded, highly skilled deputy whose intelligence was outweighed only by his compassion and willingness to always help others,” Jones wrote in a statement shortly after Melvin’s death. “Jon will be deeply missed.” 

Three lawmen from Adams County are honored at the memorial, according to the Behind the Badge roll call. 

In 1940, Marshal Robert W. Dawson of the Washtucna Police Department tried to arrest several intoxicated men when one of them struck him, knocking him down and causing a paralytic stroke. He died 12 days later, leaving behind his wife and two children, according to his obituary. He was 44. 

In October 1956, Lind Police Marshal Albert Davis was making a delivery when he discovered Henry M. Griffiths poaching. Davis tried to arrest Davis, who was on parole for forgery at the time. Determined not to go back to prison, Griffith shot Davis and left his body in rural Adams County, according to contemporary court records. Griffith was sentenced to hang, but in the end served only 12 years, according to the Behind the Badge roll call.  

In 1961, Washtucna Police Chief Walter Little was shopping in a grocery store when he was shot in the neck through the store’s glass door. The shot came from a man Little had caught target shooting earlier. Little left behind a wife and two daughters, according to his obituary. The football field at LaCrosse/Washtucna High School is named for him. 

Those stories and others from across the state are enshrined at the memorial in Olympia. 

“It’s one of those zones in the world where you can sit and reflect on things,” Haber said. “It's directed at remembering the legacy of these officers, but it struck me as a time out from everything that was happening around it … It's peaceful and it's beautiful and it's a wonderful tribute.” 

Two Decades, One Promise 

To mark the 20th anniversary, the Behind the Badge Foundation has launched the WSLEM20 Two Decades, One Promise campaign. The campaign will feature previously untold stories from the memorial’s history, rare archival materials, and personal accounts from families, colleagues, and community members whose lives have been touched by the memorial over the past two decades. Anyone with memories, stories or photos is invited to submit them for inclusion. More information is available at behindthebadgefoundation.org.wslem20. 

    Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Melvin, who died of COVID-19 in 2020, is honored at the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial in Olympia.
  

    Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy John Bernard was killed when his car rolled southwest of Ephrata in 2010. He was the first GCSO deputy to give his life in the line of duty.