By Rylie Friesen-
A memorial bench will be installed at San Juan High School in honor of Sacramento Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Stasyuk, who was killed last September after a suspect opened fire on him outside an auto parts store.
Sept. 17 marked the one-year anniversary of his death, and in his honor the Citrus Heights Police Foundation purchased the memorial bench. It is planned to be dedicated to him at his alma mater, San Juan High School.
“We want to ensure he is never forgotten,” said Citrus Heights Police Lt. Michael Wells, president of the Police Foundation.
In a presentation to the City Council on Thursday, Oct. 10, Wells said Stasyuk’s family is in full support of the bench. Wells also said the school principal and alumni association have approved the bench.
The bench will be made of a red metal, which is consistent with the color and design of the other memorial benches on campus.
Wells said the nonprofit police foundation purchased the bench along with the help of the city manager’s office and the Citrus Heights Rotary Club. He said it will be installed “at a later date” and invited City Council members to participate in a dedication ceremony.
“I think it is a wonderful gesture on the part of the Police Foundation,” Mayor Jeanie Bruins said following Wells’ presentation.
The Citrus Heights Police Department also participated in an impromptu escort at Sylvan Middle School last year, when law enforcement personnel brought the slain deputy’s younger sister back to school for the first time following the shooting.
The suspect in the case, Anton Lemon Paris, is accused of opening fire on Stasyuk and his partner Deputy Julie Robertson in front of a Pep Boys auto parts store in Rancho Cordova, fatally striking Stasyuk. Paris is currently being held without bail in the Sacramento County Main Jail. His next court date scheduled for Dec. 13.
