Honor Guard
The primary mission of the Elko Police Department Honor Guard is to render honors to fallen officers.
All members of the Elko Police Department killed in the line of duty will be appropriately honored at the time of their death. We will assign officers to ensure that survivors of the Department officer receive appropriate support at the time of their loss. We will also appropriately honor members of the Department, who die while on active duty, as well as officers who die in retirement, and civilian employees who die while employed by the Elko Police Department.
ELKO POLICE DEPARTMENT LINE OF DUTY DEATHS
On February 17, 1975, Elko Police Officers Clyde "Rusty" Walters and fellow EPD Officer and brother in-law Wally Wotring, walked into 419 Railroad Street to arrest a subject on outstanding warrants. Upon confronting the subject inside the business the subject ducked behind a workbench and began firing a .22 caliber pistol towards the two officers. Two of those initial shots fired by the subject struck Officer Walters in the midsection. Both Officer Walters and Wotring took out their .38 caliber revolvers and returned fire mortally wounding the subject. On February 20, 1975 Officer Walters died in the Elko General Hospital due to complications of the gunshot wounds he received just days prior.
