Sen. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, paid homage to two men from the Oregon Coast who gave their lives on the job as public safety officers. House Concurrent Resolutions 203 and 204 – which honor Thomas Farrell, of Tillamook County, and Gil Datan, of Coos County, respectively – passed by a unanimous bipartisan vote on the Senate floor. “The men and women who keep our communities safe play a vital role in our communities,” said Sen. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, who carried the resolutions. “It’s a hero’s work, and we are grateful to the law enforcement professionals who put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe. It’s especially fitting to pay tribute to Deputy Farrell and Deputy Datan, both of whom served fearlessly, tirelessly and with great skill and professionalism. They are true heroes and deserve to be remembered.” Farrell served 9 years as a deputy for the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office. He was born in Springfield, Mo, and began his public service career in the United States Navy Reserve. He went on to serve 20 years in the United States Air Force, which took him around the world, including stops in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Maine, Oregon and Japan, with assignments in Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. He joined the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy and 911 dispatcher and became a deputy sheriff in 1984. Farrell died tragically in the line of duty, suffering a fatal heart attack in 1987, while freeing a vehicle that had been overturned in the surf on the beach in Tierra Del Mar. Datan, of Coos Bay, poured 19 years of his heart and soul into law enforcement on the South Coast. Born in 1971 in Salinas, Calif., Datan graduated from Bishop High School, where he broke state records in the shot put and discus. He served in the Myrtle Point, North Bend, Reedsport and Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians police departments before signing on with the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. He served as a deputy sheriff for five years. Datan was killed in the line of duty in an all-terrain vehicle crash, while patrolling timber lands near Coos Bay. During his career, Datan had numerous special assignments and was instrumental in several major cases, including prosecution of a notorious murderer and arsonist in North Bend in 1999. He prevented the loss of valuable evidence and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his work on the case.
