Police Department

Deputy Slater Memorial Sign Ceremony

Capt. Tracie Meidl

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 2:18 p.m.

The Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Project Committee will be hosting their first sign dedication for the Spokane’s Fallen Officers Memorial Project on Thursday, August 29, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. The first sign is commemorating Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy James J. Slater, who died serving his community on August 29, 2003. The current project was created not only to bring awareness, but also as a reminder that our Fallen Officers will always be remembered for their ultimate sacrifice.

We would like to invite the community to attend the memorial ceremony at 8400 S. Grove Rd., between Jade and Andrus Roads and south of I-90. Directions: From Interstate 90, take the Geiger exit and travel south for about 3.3 miles. There will be law enforcement vehicles to identify the location of the ceremony.

The following excerpt was taken from At Peace with Honor by Rae Anna Victor: “Deputy James Slater was killed in an automobile accident while en route to back up a fellow officer who was following a stolen vehicle. A citizen called 9-1-1 and reported a patrol vehicle in the ditch and the deputy unconscious. It is believed that Slater started sliding on a corner and overcorrected, causing him to hit a utility pole that flipped the patrol car four times. Deputy Slater was flown to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Deputy Slater was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had been employed with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for 2.5 years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.”

• Newer
• Older