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Tag: Mark Stasyuk

  • Memorial bench for slain deputy dedicated at San Juan High School

    Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton, left, stands with members of fallen deputy Mark Stasyuk’s family and Police Chief Alex Turcotte during a memorial bench dedication on Nov. 19, 2021. // Image courtesy, Larry Fritz

    Sentinel staff report–
    Community leaders gathered outside San Juan High School on Friday to dedicate a memorial bench in honor of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Stasyuk, who was killed in the line of duty in 2018.

    Plans for the memorial bench were first announced in 2019 by the Citrus Heights Police Foundation, but the dedication was delayed due to the pandemic.

    San Juan High School Alumni Association Vice President Larry Fritz said attendees at Friday’s dedication included Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton, Police Chief Alex Turcotte, and Pastor Ilya Manzyuk, who was Stasyuk’s best friend at San Juan High School and in college. Members of Stasyuk’s family were also in attendance.

    Stasyuk was raised in Citrus Heights and graduated from San Juan High School, before joining the sheriff’s department. He was killed on Sept. 17, 2018, after being fired upon while responding to a disturbance call outside an auto parts store on Folsom Boulevard.

    Inmate records indicate the suspect, Anton Lemon Paris, is still being held in the Sacramento County Main Jail on three felony charges, including murder and attempted murder. His next court date is listed for Jan. 5, 2022.

  • Memorial bench for slain sheriff’s deputy planned at San Juan High School

    The Citrus Heights Police Foundation presented an image to the City Council on Oct. 10, 2019, showing what a future memorial bench will look like in honor of slain Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Stasyuk. // Image source: Metro 14 Cable, screenshot

    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.

  • Citrus Heights police cancel motorcycle competition to attend slain deputy’s memorial

    Motorcycle competition at Sunrise Mall
    File photo, an officer navigates through a myriad of cones set up in the Sunrise Mall parking lot during the 2015 Traffic Safety Day and Motorcycle Challenge in 2015.

    Sentinel staff report–
    The Citrus Heights Police Department’s annual Traffic Safety Day and Motorcycle Skills Challenge at Sunrise Mall has been cancelled in order to allow officers to attend the memorial service planned for Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Stasyuk, who was shot to death on Sept. 17 while responding to a routine call for service in Rancho Cordova.

    “As officers, the funeral of a fallen officer is one of the more important and solemn events we take part in,” CHPD Lieutenant Kris Frey said in a statement posted on the Sunrise Mall’s Facebook page on Friday.

    The upcoming event was scheduled for Sept. 29 and was set to include a police motorcycle skills competition, a classic car show, and an extrication demo by Metro Fire, along with bounce houses, a bicycle rodeo and face painting for kids.

    Lt. David Gutierrez told The Sentinel on Saturday there are no current plans to reschedule the 2018 safety and motorcycle event, but he said the event will return next year.

    “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Mark Stasyuk, the other injured deputy, the entire Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department & the community they serve. We mourn with you,” CHPD said in a posting on social media on the day of the shooting, accompanied by the hashtags: “heroes” and “ultimate sacrifice.”

    Deputy Stasyuk’s memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Sept. 29 at Bayside Church Adventure Campus, located at 6401 Stanford Ranch Rd. in Roseville.