As the Department and City mourn the loss of Officer Zane Coolidge , we continue to see significant support from the community . Over the last decade or better , I have poured through the records of line-of-duty deaths and found this to be a reoccurring theme going back to the 1925 death of Haze Burch , our first known line-of-duty .
This is the third article I have written for PLEA , and I usually speak to President Kriplean about the upcoming topic a few weeks in advance . As we have tragically lost another Officer , President Kriplean suggested that I reach out to Retired Sergeant Gary Coffman who had personally known a silent supporter we had in the community .
typically don ’ t hear about . During the last PLEA fundraising event for Officer Coolidge , I noted the line down Adams Street of people wanting to donate . Many of the people in line were the familiar faces of colleagues , but there were a considerable portion of attendees that I had never met before .
My articles are typically history-oriented , but I thought this was an important story to write about , given the tragic circumstances of September . Sadly , Deano passed away that month as well . If Deano had still been alive , he would ’ ve undoubtedly been among those wishing to honor the service of a member of the Phoenix Police Department who gave their life in service to the City .
I spoke with Gary who told me about a man known as “ Deano ” whom he became acquainted with at an ASU baseball game in 2007 . As Gary grew to know Deano — whose actual name was Gerald Short — he learned that he had endeavored to work in law enforcement his entire life . In the mid- 60s , he attended classes at a Community College and went on several ride-alongs with the Mesa Police Department . This dream came to an abrupt end when , according to Deano , he was working security at a business in the area of 20th Street and Thomas and was accidentally shot by another security guard . This left him both physically and mentally injured , derailing his vocational aspirations . He began working for ASU as a thirdshift janitor and eventually became a volunteer with the baseball team where he ultimately met Gary .
As their friendship grew , Gary fondly recalled many memories with Deano , noting his admiration for law enforcement . Gary mentioned that Deano became an honorary member of the 73X squad and became a common sight around the precinct . What really made an impact on Gary was Deano ’ s desire to support the Phoenix Police family in times of need , particularly when we lost one of our own . Every time tragedy struck our ranks , Deano would donate $ 100 to the officer , usually by way of a PLEA barbeque , despite being on an extremely fixed income .
This is invariably one of the many stories of supporters we have in the community that we
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