In preparation for the State’s Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Ceremony, the name of a fallen officer was added today under the solemn watch of the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation. Deputy Gil Datan, of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office died while he was on forest patrol on April 20, 2015, will be honored during the State’s ceremony next month in Salem. Deputy Datan, age 43, was attempting to go up a steep embankment on his ATV, when it rolled over. Datan was thrown off, and the ATV landed on its side on top of him. Datan was unable to free himself or call for help. Datan was found by a search team at 9:45 PM in rugged terrain between three and five miles from where he parked his sheriff’s office pick-up truck. Part of Datan’s assignment as a timber deputy was to patrol timber lands between the Green Acres and Sumner Road area, which is very rough in places. The sheriff’s office has several contracts with agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and private timber property owners to patrol their properties. The State’s Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 1 PM at the Oregon Public Safety Academy at 4190 Aumsville Highway in Salem. The memorial honors 181 fallen Oregon law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since the 1880s. This includes officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies who have served as law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and parole and probation officers. This event is open to the public and Governor Kate Brown is expected to be in attendance.
