(Jake Slebodnick/News Talk 780 KOH)
(Zephyr Cove, NV) — 50 years after Gary Gifford was fatally shot by a robbery suspect near Cave Rock, law enforcement agencies gathered at Zephyr Cove Restaurant on Tuesday to honor the former Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper.
Gifford’s death came during a routine traffic stop along Route 50 back on October 14, 1975. The driver, Ken Meller, was a suspect connected to the Round Hill Mall Robbery. Police reports say he took hostages on several occasions prior to his arrest.
Gifford served in the U.S. Navy prior to joining NHP.
His son, Jim, attended the ceremony on Tuesday. He was five years old at the time of his father’s death, and he recounted the moments he found out about the shooting.
NHP Colonel Mike Edgel said Gifford’s death set a different standard for how troopers approach traffic stops.
After nearly an hour of remarks made by Gifford’s friends and colleages, those in attendance enjoyed a brief lunch and fellowship at the restaurant.
Photos by Jake Slebodnick/News Talk 780 KOH.
