4 share Fourth grand marshal title
SANDPOINT — This year's Fourth of July parade will have four grand marshals, as local law enforcement officers recently injured in the line of duty have been selected for the honor.
Bonner County Sheriff's deputies Mike Gagnon and Justin Penn, and Sandpoint Police officers Michael Hutter and Eric Clark, will share the title of grand marshal on Wednesday.
Judy Dabrowski, president of the Sandpoint Lions Club, said it is a group decision when choosing the grand marshal each year, with club members putting forth names of deserving people within the community. This year, she said, it was brought up that the deputies and officers had been injured while protecting the community.
"It just felt right to us that we should thank them for their service and let them know that we appreciate what they do," Dabrowski said.
The BCSO deputies were both injured by gunfire in January 2017 while attempting to make an arrest in Blanchard. The Sandpoint officers were also injured by gunfire after responding to a 911 request for a welfare check in March.
Each of the grand marshals said they are honored to have been chosen to lead the Grand Parade on the Fourth of July.
Hutter began his career in law enforcement in 1987 as a Bonner County reserve deputy, and was hired full time in 1988. Two years later, he said, he transferred to the Sandpoint Police Department. In 1997, he again transferred, this time to the Ponderay Police Department where he served at the chief of police until, after 28 years in law enforcement, he retired in 2016. His retirement lasted "a short six days," he said, as he returned to the Sandpoint Police Department as a patrol officer. In the summer months, he serves as the SPD's motorcycle officer, riding around town on the department's 2017 Harley-Davidson.
"I have enjoyed being an officer in this community so much and enjoy going to work each and every day," Hutter said. "Being an officer is about customer service. I firmly believe that 99.9 percent of the people we come in contact with are good people and just sometimes having a bad day. We live in such a great community where the support for law enforcement is so overwhelming. Even prior to these tragic events, it was almost an everyday occurrence for people to walk up and thank us for our service. And that means a lot to me and I’m sure to the other officers.
"Being chosen as grand marshal is an honor, especially when in the company of such great officers like Clark, Penn and Gagnon."
Clark said when he finished high school, he noticed and envied what law enforcement officer did, so a few years later he chose to pursue it as a career. He has been in law enforcement for a just over three years, and has "enjoyed almost every minute of it," he said.
"I enjoy being in close communication with the community that I grew up in, and also chose to raise my family in," Clark said. "Our department has a great relationship with our community/residents of Sandpoint and that is truly amazing. It’s phenomenal going to work everyday knowing that everyday isn’t going to be the same as the last. I don’t go to a “job” everyday, I go to have fun.
"Being chosen as a grand marshal is an honor that I’m appreciative to have been selected for."
Penn said he had always wanted to be a police officer from a very young age, and "loved" the thought of being the one who others looked to for help. As a teenager, he started going on ride-alongs with officers, and admired the way people looked up to them. His law enforcement career began in 2006 in California where he grew up. After working in corrections for a time, he went through the "rigorous" six-month police academy. He was subsequently hired full time as a patrol deputy with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office in his early 20s. At that point, he said, he "grew up fast." Penn worked for the MCSO for five years, but was eventually laid off, which is what brought him to Idaho. He has worked for BCSO for seven years.
"Even after all these years and going through the lowest point of my career — being shot — I still absolutely love my job," Penn said. "I love suiting up everyday, jumping in my patrol car and chasing down the bad guys. There’s nothing else like it in the world and the gratification of helping others is amazing. For me, the positives of this job will always outweigh the negatives, and good will always prevail over evil.
"Being chosen for the grand marshal is quite a compliment. I very much appreciate the opportunity, and absolutely love the positive recognition we have received from our community during this past, very dark year. This event will hopefully highlight the strengths of not only our local law enforcement, but the strength of our community. With that said we had a job to do that day, to protect our community from evil. Even though we were gunned down, we completed our mission and survived. We may have lasting injuries and the horrible memories of that day but in the end I believe we prevented something worse from happening. That's what law enforcement does every day. I have been called a hero, and now grand marshal, but to me, I was just being a cop."
Gagnon said being selected as grand marshal for the Fourth of July is an honor, a surprise, and "very humbling."
"When we consider all those who have served before us, with us and will serve after us on the thin blue line, how can we not feel honored?" Gagnon said. "The Fourth is a time celebrate our country and all we have accomplished together. While our nation may seem divided at times, I remain convinced we are still a nation united. Here in Bonner County especially so. I believe I can speak for Officers Hutter and Clark and Deputy Penn, when I say I have never felt so appreciated than the time after Justin and I were hurt. The love and outpouring we received continues to this day."
Gagnon said his road to law enforcement was a "bit twisted and long." He grew up in a family of law enforcement officers, including his father, uncle and several others. He always wanted to be in law enforcement, he said, but life always seemed to get in the way — until 2012. After putting himself through the police academy, he was hired by the Priest River Police Department. In 2015, he was hired by BCSO and has been there ever since.
"Being a Deputy for Bonner County is, most days — minus one — the greatest job in the world," Gagnon said. "Every day, in fact, several times a day, our job is different from the day before. One minute we are on our way to a suicidal subject, car crash, domestic, the next searching for a lost child, investigating burglaries, reports of drugs, etc. No two days are the same. This is our way to give back. It sounds cliché, but serving is why most of us enter law enforcement and one of my favorite parts of this job. Another is the brotherhood. Serving alongside others who laugh, sweat , shiver and suffer by my side forms a bond few appreciate. When we are out late at night, when I call for help, I know my brothers and sisters will put all thoughts of self aside. I have seen it firsthand. The only other comparison I have is my time in the Marine Corps.
"Finally, I would ask the citizens of Bonner County to continue to show your support for all of law enforcement, especially those here in our community. While Deputy Penn, Officer Hutter, Officer Clark and I are the faces of law enforcement today, all of my brothers and sisters continually face the darkness of those who hate, who seek to kill and destroy. The danger to us all is real and constant. As we know, evil does in fact live amongst us, but those in blue are always looking, are always ready."
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.