Tuesday, March 10, 2010 • Community remembers, honors slain deputy’s sacrifice

March 2 will always be a solemn day in Lassen County because it’s the day Lassen County Deputy Sheriff Larry Griffith was shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call near Ravendale.

Community members, including some law enforcement officers who served with Griffith all those years ago, attended a remembrance ceremony at the granite marker in his honor that stands in front of the historic Lassen County Courthouse at noon, Monday, March 2 — honoring the fallen deputy and marking the 20th anniversary of his death.

Former Lassen County Sheriff Ron Jarrell, the sheriff at the time, remembered that day.

“Deputy sheriff Larry Griffith was shot and killed in the line of duty 20 years ago on a day not unlike this one — rain, sleet, some snow and a little sunshine,” Jarrell said. “I can tell you it was the worst day of my professional career. To me, there is nothing more cowardly than someone who will conceal themselves and lie in wait and ambush the dedicated officers responding to champion the victims of domestic violence. Conversely, there is nothing more courageous than someone willing to pay the ultimate price in order to protect that victim.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather it’s the judgment that there is something more important than that fear coupled with the ability to act appropriately in the face of that fear. There are inherent dangers in the profession of public safety. As a result, bravery and vigilance are a constant trait of those who wear the badge. It’s the courage that is so constant and commonplace with those who wear the badge that many take it for granted. We will not do that today, but instead we will honor Larry’s courage because on our behalf he gave his full measure.”

Jarrell also shared some staggering statistics about the dangers face by law enforcement officers.

“It’s said that every 53 minutes a peace officer loses his life in the line of duty someplace in this world,” Jarrell said. “That represents a staggering number of officers willing to put their lives in jeopardy to protect their citizens. Numbers don’t have faces. Today, we’re here to pay tribute to a face, one that’s etched in our memory forever. While it’s emotionally painful even after 20 years to recall and relive the events of that day, it is imperative we keep Larry’s legacy alive. It is our responsibility. It is our obligation to occasionally recite the circumstances of his death, to recognize the sacrifice he and his family — filled with grief — paid while he was doing his part to maintain an orderly society …

“Today we honor Larry, as well as all of those who stood for justice and have fallen in its name. Even though he is no longer with us in body, his spirit is a part of each of us who proudly served with him. Chaplin Bruce will remind us that the Bible says, no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for a friend, or in this case, a community. Larry was a hero behind the badge. A hero remembered is a hero (who) never died. Larry, we will always remember you. We still love you.”

Lassen County Sheriff Dean Growdon thanked those who attended the ceremony.

“We’re here to honor the service and sacrifice of deputy Larry Griffith,” Growdon said. “Larry was a son, a husband and a father, and his family was always his top priority. Larry was also a soldier and a deputy sheriff … On March 2, 1995, he gave his life in the service of this county and its citizens. That’s why we are here today — to remember his service to our community despite the risk he knew he might encounter each day when he put on that uniform and went on duty.”

The Lassen County Sheriff’s Color Guard presented the colors and lowered the flag in front of the courthouse to half -staff, Taps was played and Growdon placed a wreath on the granite monument and attached a yellow ribbon with Griffith’s name on the color guard’s banner.

The ceremony concluded with a prayer.