SANTA CRUZ — It’s a day they desperately wish had never happened, but have pledged to never forget.

Family, friends and former colleagues of Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller gathered in Santa Cruz Friday to mark five years since the beloved law enforcement official and community member was killed in the line of duty.

The Sheriff’s Office hosted a public ceremony at its headquarters off of Soquel Avenue to honor Gutzwiller’s legacy of sacrifice and to give those that knew him an opportunity to mourn a loss that remains immense and tender a half-decade later. • Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark stands in salute for Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller who was killed June 6, 2020, while responding to reports of a suspicious van in Ben Lomond. (PK Hattis - Santa Cruz Se

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