On April 5, 2014, I responded to a call from a citizen reporting an officer down at the scene of a traffic collision. Upon my arrival, I saw Officer Christopher Cortijo being treated by paramedics on scene. I assisted with escorting the ambulance to the hospital, and was present as Chris's family arrived. I knew Chris personally from working on a DUI task force and had frequently socialized with him throughout the years.
When I was notified several days later that he had
succumb to his injuries, I struggled to find a way in
which I could honor Chris and his service. I was
given the opportunity to attend the funeral, and
march along with other uniformed personnel
during the ceremony. This experience sparked an
interest within me and I sought an opportunity to
be a part of the Honor Guard, however a position
within the unit never became available.
Once I joined the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office,
and was presented with an opportunity to apply for
a position with the Honor Guard, I submitted my
resume. I was fortunate enough to be selected for
the team and look forward to representing the
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office while honoring the
memory of my friend, and those who have made the
ultimate sacrifice for their country and
communities.
Honor Guard
The Sheriff’s Honor Guard team consists of 10 deputies, 1 sergeant and 1 lieutenant. The Honor Guard uniform differs from the traditional El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office uniform; members wear a uniform similar to the Marine Corps dress blues uniform, utilizing the traditional Sheriff’s Office colors. The team members also proudly wear a badge designed especially for Honor Guard members.
The team is multi-functional and is often called upon for many different details, such as funeral honors for fallen officers (active and retired), presentation of the colors at Veterans and Memorial Day events and flag raising ceremonies at local schools. In May of each year the Honor Guard team is present at the Peace Officer’s Memorial dedication held in Sacramento, California.
In 2017 the Sheriff’s Honor Guard team
traveled up and down the state of California
several times. All of these trips were made
to attend the funerals of men and women
who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The team
assisted with a total of 5 law enforcement
funerals, with a few of them occurring within
days of each other. They also presented the
colors at 10 ceremonies this year.
-Deputy Evan Richardson
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This year, the Honor Guard selected one of our newest Deputies, Evan Richardson, to join their team. As a new Deputy with the Sheriff's Office, Evan was asked what motivated his decision to apply for Honor Guard.