ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — Friday marks two years since the on-duty death of Adams County Deputy Heath McDonald Gumm.
Gumm, 31, was killed by gunfire while he searched for suspects around the 8700 block of Dawson Street in Thornton in January 2018. A then-22-year-old was charged with first-degree murder.
A moment of silence is planned for 8:05 p.m. Friday.
“Deputy Heath Gumm, you will forever be in our hearts and we will strive to honor your memory every day,” the Adams County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Friday morning. “We continue to have the watch, and you will always be a part of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office family.”
Gumm was a husband and 2004 graduate of Mullen High School in Denver. He had served with the sheriff’s office since 2013 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the sheriff's office in 2017.
Law enforcement agents from across the state joined hundreds of mourners for his funeral in early February 2018. Thousands paid tribute in the procession. At the funeral, his father, Jim Gumm thanked the first responders in the room.
“When you were growing up, we always tried to instill in you values,” he said about his son. “Somehow the student became the teacher. You always made us so proud.”