Officers gather to honor fatally injured deputy

Hundreds of law enforcement officers converged on Spokane on Wednesday to honor a fallen Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Michael Estes died from injuries suffered in an on-duty crash while on his way to an emergency near Walla Walla.

Estes, 43, was originally from Hermiston, Ore. He grew up in Sprague, Wash., and graduated in 1982 from Valley Christian High School in Spokane Valley.

Pictures that scrolled across a screen during the 11/2-hour funeral in the INB Performing Arts Center showed a boy with a beaming smile in a coat and tie, a soldier, a hunter and a deputy.

A member of the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office who spoke at the funeral repeated comments he’d heard from coworkers, friends and family members since Estes’ death: “He had a commanding spirit; he was one of the best ones; he was a kind person; he was a jokester; he was determined and enthusiastic; and he was a big teddy bear.”

Estes joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2005. The 43-year-old served in the U.S. Army for 12 years and spent two years as a correctional officer at the Washington State Penitentiary.

When he died, Estes was also a member of the Oregon National Guard.

Estes died Feb. 14 from injuries suffered in a traffic collision on Feb. 6.