5/9/2007

Worcester County honors fallen deputies
By Bob Lassahn

On May 1, 2007 the Worcester County Commissioners and Sheriff Charles Martin dedicated a memorial plaque, now located in the county administration building in the lower floor atrium. It hangs just outside the entrance to the sheriff's office and recognizes two Worcester County deputies killed in the line of duty.

Many county residents may be familiar with Deputy Sheriff First Class Brian Keith Heller, killed in the line of duty on June 14, 2000 in an automobile accident on Route 113 as he was responding to assist another deputy with a mental patient. A veteran of 13 years in law enforcement, four of them with the Worcester County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Heller left behind a wife and two daughters.

The other deputy recognized for his sacrifice is a bit more obscure. Deputy Sheriff William Outten laid down his life on February 6, 1759 when he was shot during a boundary dispute. His death was a direct result of the disputed line between Worcester County, in the then colony of Maryland and Sussex County, in the then colony of Delaware. The clash involved a sword fight and the eventual shooting of Deputy Outten as he led a posse to apprehend an alleged "tax cheat" named John Willy, the man who shot him during the skirmish.

Deputy Outten's death is duly recognized by Worcester County, but is the basis for a dispute with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial located in Washington, DC based upon the date. According to Sheriff Martin since the national memorial recognizes U.S. law enforcement officers and Deputy Outten died some 17 years before the American colonies declared independence from Mother England, he has been deemed ineligible for inclusion on two separate occasions. But Sheriff Martin remains determined to see this deputy from bygone times afforded his due and he will appeal the decision again. Ironically Deputy Outten's boss, the sheriff at the time, was also named Charles Martin.

If Sheriff Martin is successful in achieving recognition for Deputy Outten he could literally re-write history. Presently the earliest recorded death of a U.S. law enforcement officer is a distinction reserved for Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith of the Westchester County, NY Sheriff's Department, shot and killed on May 17, 1792 during a confrontation with an intoxicated subject.

This recognition comes at a time when the nation is preparing to honor all law enforcement officers who have sacrificed their lives. Each year May 15 is observed as National Police Officers Memorial Day and during ceremonies leading up to the date the names of officers are unveiled on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. This year a total of 382 names will be added. Of this number 145 were killed during 2006, while an additional 237 died in the past and are now being properly recognized when, during a candlelight vigil on May 13 at 8 p.m. the names of the officers will be read. None of the new names from 2006 are from an agency on Delmarva.

Since that first death of a law enforcement officer in 1792 more than 17,900 officers have laid down their lives in the line of duty. According to statistics from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund there are currently about 870,000 sworn officers serving. During the last 10 years an average of 165 have died in the line of duty, about one every 53 hours.

For information on fallen officers visit the Officer Down memorial page (www.odmp.org) and the National law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (www.nleomf.com).

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