Ceremony honors fallen Vegas sergeant

On a granite memorial in the shape of the Silver State, Sgt. Henry Prendes' name was revealed to hundreds of law enforcement officers and onlookers during a ceremony Thursday on the Capitol Grounds.

The 37-year-old Las Vegas Metropolitan Police veteran and father of two teenage girls was shot down after responding to a domestic violence call in February. He was one of 44 officers killed nationally this year. But to those who knew and loved him, Prendes was unique.

"He was my life partner," said his widow, Dawn, following the ceremony.

Married just two years, Dawn said she never worried about Henry when he left the house. As long as she'd known him, he had worked in plain clothes as an investigator. He'd only been back in patrol four months when he was gunned down.

Though the pain is still fresh, Dawn felt some comfort in the recognition her husband was receiving.

"It makes me feel good to see his name there," she said. "I'm so proud of Henry."

The 100 officers who died before Prendes were also honored during the annual Nevada Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Ceremony in which bagpipes, bugles and a riderless horse were among speeches, a wreath laying and 21-gun salute.

"He was far more than just a police officer," said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Bill Young. "And not just Henry, but every cop we honor here today. They were more than just a person behind a badge. They were more than just officers. They were fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews - they were our friends."

Secretary of State George Chanos reminded the crowd the first officer killed in Nevada was Carson City Sheriff John L. Blackburn in 1861. He cited statistics - nationally, 156 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2005 and the most officers killed in a single incident was Sept. 11, 2001, when 72 paid the "ultimate sacrifice."

"I believe that Nevada should have a police officer memorial in front of every district court in the state," he said. "So that every person who enters those courts at every encounter with our criminal justice system and at every stage of their lives, receives a very clear signal from the people of the state of Nevada, the message being 'These are our heroes and you do not want to enter this hall of justice having trespassed against them.'"

Nevada's ceremony came at the conclusion of a baton run from Las Vegas to Carson City. Sheriff Young said that in honor of Prendes, the Metropolitan Police Department's bicycle team also rode the route.

"Let us always remember (the fallen) with the same fervor, passion and commitment they brought to their assignments everyday," he said. "And resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain."

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.