Outspoken Arizona County Sheriff Dead

[Seeker]

Please, no comments about Joe Arpaio here - this man's passing will leave a big hole in Arizona's law enforcement community.

WILLIAMS, Ariz. (AP) - Cochise County sheriff's officials say Sheriff Larry Dever has died in a one-vehicle accident near the northern Arizona town of Williams.

Carol Capas of the sheriff's office said in a statement that the crash occurred Tuesday evening and that the Coconino County sheriff's office was investigating.

The sheriff's office declined Wednesday to release any details of the death.

Dever's death comes less than a week after the sheriff's mother, Annie Mae Dever, died Friday of cancer at age 86.

Cochise County shares an 83.5-mile border with Mexico in the state's southeastern corner.

Dever was among a handful of Arizona sheriffs who defended the state's tough anti-illegal immigration law and blasted the Obama administration for its handling of the federal firearms operation known as "Fast and Furious."

http://www.kfyi.com/cc-common/news/s...ticle=10429364

[Seeker]

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever dies in crash

Larry Dever, the four-term Republican sheriff of Cochise County, has died in a one-vehicle crash near the northern Arizona town of Williams. He was 60.

Dever's death was confirmed early Wednesday by the sheriff's department. The department declined to release details of the crash or his death.

The sheriff died just four days after his 86-year-old mother, Annie Mae Dever, died of cancer.

Dever was first elected to his post as the head of the county's law enforcement agency in 1996, and was last re-elected in 2008. He joined the agency as a deputy in 1976, according to the sheriff's department website.

He entered the national spotlight as one of Arizona's four border sheriffs who asked to legally defend the state's controversial anti-illegal immigration law, known as SB1070, in federal court. Cochise County, in the state's southeastern corner, shares an 83.5-mile border with Mexico and is one of the state's hot spots for illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

He said at the time that the federal government was failing to secure the border and praised the law, which includes provisions that require police to question a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws and if officers suspect the person is in the county illegally.

"If the federal government had been doing and would continue to do its job in securing the border here in southern Arizona, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, they failed to do that, so Arizona stepped up and said, `We want to be partners. Here's a role we think we can play,'" Dever told The Associated Press earlier this year.

It was Dever's office that investigated the 2010 death of a prominent rancher whom the sheriff said was likely killed by an illegal immigrant. The killing spurred Arizona's political leadership, including Gov. Jan Brewer and its U.S. senators, to renew pressure on the Obama administration to deploy National Guard troops along the southern border.

Dever also joined other Arizona sheriffs in slamming the Obama administration over a botched federal operation that lost track of weapons sold to suspect straw purchasers for Mexican drug gangs.

Dever was born and grew up in the town of St. David. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; six sons; and 11 grandchildren.

http://azstarnet.com/news/state-and-...9bb2963f4.html

[bobwohl]

"Accident"????? Maybe.....Could be.......but I doubt it.

[brokenwings]

Maybe a message to the rest of the sheriff's who dare go against the great and powerful O?

[Seeker]

Cochise County is on Arizona's southern border with Mexico. Williams is north and east of Phoenix, "gateway to the Grand Canyon". Could have been driver fatigue - they are not saying what time the accident occurred, or even if it was on the freeway system. Very sad news.

[Gercarson]

"Accident"????? Maybe.....Could be.......but I doubt it.

Any time anyone dies in an accident it's a real loss - we needed more people like him and we have all lost an advocate for border contol.
I hope this wasn't just a "warning" to "others".

[Hfcomms]

Accidents happen. It's a fact of life and they even happen to law enforcement. However, if it was more than just an accident the Sheriff Dept would be the ones to investigate it and uncover it. If that is the case here is hoping that the under sheriff takes up the reins and shouts long and hard. The dirty tricks boys know how to stage 'accidents'. Amazing how people around the world who irritate their respective governments happen to expire under unusual circumstances, eh?

[Panner]

I just read about his death on the Az Daily Sun website.

http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and...eb23fc8b6.html

It says he was on a dirt road headind to a family camping and hunting trip. A car following him came around a turn and saw a cloud of dust.

[sssarawolf]

Accidents happen. It's a fact of life and they even happen to law enforcement. However, if it was more than just an accident the Sheriff Dept would be the ones to investigate it and uncover it. If that is the case here is hoping that the under sheriff takes up the reins and shouts long and hard. The dirty tricks boys know how to stage 'accidents'. Amazing how people around the world who irritate their respective governments happen to expire under unusual circumstances, eh?

Right on Hf

[Seeker]

Cochise County Sheriff Dever dies in car crash
by Aric Johnson, Jaclyn Schultz and Joe Dana - Sept. 19, 2012 08:57 AM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

Larry Dever, a four-term Republican sheriff for Cochise County, was killed in a car crash near the northern Arizona town of Williams on Tuesday night, according to authorities. Dever, 60, was driving up to meet one of his six sons for a two-day family hunting trip near White Horse Lake in Coconino County when his vehicle rolled on a gravel U.S. Forest Service road about 15 miles outside of Williams, Cochise County sheriff's spokeswoman Carol Capas said. One of his other sons was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan today, she said.

message boards Leave condolences for the Dever family | Remembrances

Capas, weeping as she talked, said deputies were taking the news hard. "I spoke with his wife and one of his sons; they again are devastated," Capas said. "His mother passed away Friday. Her funeral is scheduled for this weekend. "They are just asking that they have some of their family time to be private, because this is just so overwhelming."

Dever was driving a white 2008 Chevrolet pickup south on Forest Service Road 109, approximately 2 miles north of White Horse Lake, authorities said. The vehicle rolled over about 6:40 p.m., according to an official from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. No other vehicles were reported to be involved. There have been reports of other fatal crashes over the years on that road, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said. A witness said that, after driving behind Dever's truck on the Forest Service road, he lost sight of him for a brief period of time before spotting a cloud of dust and the truck resting on its wheels, according to authorities. Officials believe that Dever had lost control of his truck, causing it to roll over off the road and land back on its wheels.

Dever was up for re-election in November; he faced no challengers. His death came four days after his 86-year-old mother died of cancer. Nearly always wearing his signature cowboy hat, Dever gained national prominence in the debate over the enforcement of illegal immigration. The county shares has an 83-mile border with Mexico. Dever was a vocal backer of SB 1070, Arizona's immigration law, and testified in favor of it as it made its way through the Legislature and the courts. He also gained prominence when 58-year-old rancher Robert Krentz was killed on his ranch on the Mexican border in Cochise County.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who worked with Dever on the Border Sheriffs Association to defend county sheriffs against litigation over Arizona's immigration law, expressed shock and sadness over the fatal crash. "He was my friend, a leader on border security and leader among Sheriffs," Babeu said in a released statement. "This is a great loss to Arizona, a true patriot has died and he will be sorely missed." Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio tweeted this message: "My condolences go out to the family of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever. His death is a big loss to the law enforcement community."

Dever was a sought-after endorsement in Arizona politics. In 2010, Dever backed McCain over his primary challenger, former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth. In 2006, he appeared with a group of Arizona sheriffs in an effective campaign television ad for Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, ripping challenger Jim Pederson over the amnesty issue. He recently endorse U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake. Flake joined in those who mourned Dever's death, describing the sheriff as a "true leader among lawmen" and praising his "quiet, effective leadership on border security and his desire to protect the residents of Cochise County and southern Arizona."

Dever was a 36-year Cochise County law-enforcement veteran. Dever became a deputy in 1976. He rose through the ranks from sergeant to major. He was first elected to office in 1996 and was re-elected to a forth term in 2008, according to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office website. Dever was born and raised in the town of St. David in Cochise County. He lived there until his death. Hs wife, Nancy, is a retired special educational administrator and educational consultant. They have six sons. The oldest is a major in the U.S. Army, three work for Arizona law-enforcement agencies, one is a firefighter, and one attends college. Dever has 11 grandchildren.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...nclick_check=1

[texkat72]

Prayers for this family. So sad!

[Norma]

This is really sad. We need a lot more Sheriffs like him. Prayers for his family, coworkers, and all his friends at this time.


Norma

[peekaboo]

This is a sad day for the people of Cochise County. He was a good Sheriff, strong and polite. It was not uncommon to run into him in the grocery stores or hardware stores and he always had time to talk. He was one of the good guys.

I for one will miss him.

[IamRose]

Awe man!

[Richard]

how convenient another effective critic of bum features is dead

[Bones]

Will the current white house squatter call the sheriff's family with condolences ala Trayvon's family? Nehhhhhh.

[changed]

Was he wearing his seatbelt? I am not trying to be funny here. Some people commit suicide by car. Maybe he was distraught over his mom's death.

[Sammy55]

Praying for the Sheriff's family, friends, co-workers, and for the people in his county.

Somehow I don't think that this is a "real" accident. O'splat has been taking out those who oppose him and/or point out what he's up to. That's his right according to him, don'tchaknow??

[Seeker]

. . . Officials believe that Dever had lost control of his truck, causing it to roll over off the road and land back on its wheels. . . .

Traveling too fast on gravel road??? Hit road debris? Swerved to avoid animal or skidded in dust ??? Rest assured, investigating officers will go over that truck with a very fine and small-toothed comb.