VANCOUVER, Wash. — Family, friends, and local law enforcement agencies took part in a procession and memorial on Tuesday honoring fallen Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota.
Sahota was fatally shot while Clark County deputies were chasing a robbery suspect, who ran to his house while he was off duty.
The memorial was held at ilani Casino in Ridgefield:
Those who spoke at the memorial wanted Sahota to be remembered for his love of family and the career they say he was called to do.
Sahota dedicated more than two decades to policing, from Gresham and Port of Portland to the Vancouver Police Department.
“He took more time off than anyone else. He was always taking trips with his family. We always gave him a hard time, but that’s because his priority was his family,” said Officer Robin Brown, a former partner at the Vancouver Police Department.
Sahota is survived by his wife and his two children.
On Tuesday, his children spoke at the funeral remembering their father.
” I will miss our time together, greatly. That said, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to learn so much from him, although I wish I had more time. I’m so glad I had 18 years with him,” his son Colton said.
Don Sahota’s daughter Kylie DaCunha said she is proud her father was an officer serving the community.
“Some of my earliest memories involved my dad being an officer; I remember late night calls. The sacrifice of time was hard to understand back then. I am so proud of the good he did,” she said.
The official memorial procession for Sahota started Tuesday at about 10:30 a.m.
People lined freeway overpasses to pay their respects to the officer.
Law enforcement vehicles gathered in front of Crossroads Community Church, just off Interstate 205 before the procession made its way to Interstate 5.
At 179th Street, Sahota’s motorcade joined the procession, and there was an honorary flyover. From there, the procession continued north up to the La Center/Cowlitz Way exit for the memorial at ilani Casino.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.502.0_en.html#goog_2142982120 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 90%