On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and the entirety of our public safety organizations, and community were rocked to our knees with the devastating news of the loss of Deputy Carl Howell. Yet before the sun would rise in the morning, the immediacy of our grief was met with the over-powering emotional support from the entire community. I am humbled, honored, and thankful, as I speak for the entire Sheriff’s Office staff, to live in such a wonderful caring and supportive community called home.
Out of the emotional grief suffered, emerged the unimaginable power of community pride. While all along, we have known this to be a solid Carson City characteristic, the sight of a thousand candles on the legislative complex, streets lined with families, friends, children and businesses, was an unbelievable visual testament to what we already knew. Signs of support, some still standing, remind us every day of the character and compassion of our home town. As law enforcement organizations are designed in concept to “serve,” our friends, relatives, and businesses reminded us momentously that we all stand together and no one ever stands alone.
Emerging from the tragedy were many that the Sheriff’s Office relies upon heavily and are so thankful to call our partners. Remarkably, it was our own Carson City Fire Department personnel that not only stood along-side the Deputies at the scene that fateful morning, but also lifted us throughout the week to insure the most fitting and professional services possible for Deputy Howell. While we have always enjoyed a great partnership, we are humbled by their boundless commitment. Notably also was our relationship with the Nevada State Health and Human Services. As daylight hours emerged, so too did immediate and on-going support to our employees, families and friends. We could not be more thankful for their devotion and out-reach in our hours, days and weeks of needed support.
It would be remiss to fail to mention our remarkable neighbors, those in the cities and counties surrounding us. As the Carson City pride emerged at every corner and service, so did our friends from up and down the highways. Stretching miles from north to south, and east to west, Northern Nevada lived up to its reputation for confronting disasters with a unified front. It is captivating how miles can divide us, and yet our character and strengths bind us so tightly together.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, I am reminded that the strength and character in Carson City is abundant and selfless. In this community no one ever stands alone. As we pass through those most difficult times and the world seems dark, our families, neighbors, and businesses, are filled with care, compassion and willingness to see us, others through the times of trial. As a community, we rebuild to strength, yet never forgetting for a moment those who have shaped our past.
Ken Furlong
Sheriff
In Memory of Deputy Sheriff Carl D. Howell, EOW August 15, 2015