Run begins to deliver baton to peace officer memorial

A star-spangled baton holding the names of Nevada Peace Officers killed in the line of duty began making its way across the Silver State in the hands of Nevada's men and women in law enforcement on Thursday.

The seven-day, 450-mile run from Las Vegas to Carson City will deliver the baton to officers with the Carson City Sheriff's Office who will run the final leg of the 113-leg run to the Nevada Peace Officer Memorial downtown.

On Thursday, Nevada will honor those peace officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony on the Legislative Plaza.

This year, four names will be added to the memorial, including the state's lone officer killed this year, Nye County Sheriff's Deputy Ian Michael Deutch.

Deutch, 28, was shot and killed April 26, 2010, as he and another deputy responded to a Pahrump casino where a woman had fled to after being shot at during a domestic disturbance.

When Deutch and his partner arrived the man opened fire on them striking Deutch three times in the abdomen. A third deputy returned fire and killed the suspect.

Deutch, a member of the Nevada Army National Guard, had been home just two days from a deployment to Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, two children, parents, two brothers, and two sisters.

Other names being added to the memorial are:

Reno Police Officer Harry Brown killed Sept. 26, 1905; Reno Police Officer Wilson Fugate killed July 2, 1939; and Washoe County Sheriff's Deputy Harry Swaney killed Aug. 12, 1935.

The memorial begins at noon.