Fallen Santa Cruz Co. Sergeant To Be Honored A Year After Death

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller will be honored Friday morning at the sheriff's office by a group of motorcycle riders traveling cross-country to honor law enforcement officers killed last year in line-of-duty deaths.

The Beyond the Call of Duty End of Watch Ride to Remember is a group of six riders from the state of Washington who will travel 22,300 miles cross-country in honor of 338 law enforcement officers who gave their lives for their jobs in 2020, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced. They will haul a 41-foot trailer 22,300 miles on their journey, which is slated to run from May 28 to August 19.

“I wanted to bridge this gap that we have and bring back to the department and let the officers and their families know that their loss has not been forgotten," said End of Watch Ride founder Jagrut Shah, a former deputy, in the statement.

Gutzwiller, 38, was a 14-year veteran of the sheriff's office who was killed June 6, 2020 in an ambush at a Ben Lomond home as he responded to investigate a call of a suspicious car in which guns and bomb-making equipment were observed. Two other officers were injured in the firefight.

Gutzwiller was a father of two remembered by wife Favi Del Real at his funeral as "a man too beautiful to describe." Loved ones and colleagues who spoke at his service remembered him as a gentle and sensitive soul, an exceptional father, a faithful friend with an infectious, goofy grin and a man wholly devoted to his community.

Hundreds of California law enforcement officers gathered last year at his funeral to pay tribute to his life and service.

The riders are scheduled to arrive at the sheriff's office (5200 Soquel Ave.) at 8 a.m.

See more:

• Funeral Coverage: Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller: A Man 'Too Beautiful To Describe'
• Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller's Kids To Benefit From Education Fund
• Vigil Mourns Damon Gutzwiller, Santa Cruz Deputy Killed In Ambush
• Accused Attacker Charged In Ambush On Santa Cruz Deputies
• Santa Cruz Co. Deputy Killed In Ben Lomond Shooting, Explosions
• Deputy Injured In Shooting Honored Upon Release From Hospital