Spokane County Sheriff’s Sergeant Kenneth Salas was remembered as a dedicated and caring co-worker and husband during a memorial service in downtown Spokane this afternoon.
Salas was struck and killed by a motorcycle on August 9 while removing a hay bale from Interstate 90 near Four Lakes. He was a 34-year employee of the sheriff’s department.
Several co-workers shared their memories of Salas, including Sergeant Griffin Criswell, who said Salas had recently told him of his plans to retire at the end of September.
“He had recently purchased a large trailer and he and [his wife] as well as Diesel and Sassy [his dogs] were going to travel to Florida in the fall to look for a home to buy. He spoke about it with such anticipation, as if the next chapter of his life was already unfolding in front of him," he said.
Some of the stories told by his colleagues were about their work experiences with him, but many were about Salas’ love affair with his new wife. Superior Court Judge Annette Plese said Salas had asked her to perform the marriage ceremony for the couple on New Year’s Eve 2023.
“He was so happy to have found his true love. I’m grateful that I got to know him, respect him, and be a small part of the person that he was," she said.
Retired Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Epperson read a letter from Salas’ widow.
“He taught me how to paint and build fences. We worked together at home and when he got tired, we sat hand-in-hand on the sofa, sharing his love for rock music as he played it and told me about it.”
That love of rock music was honored with a heavy metal version of The Star Spangled Banner as law enforcement officers saluted.
Some of the officers who spoke noted Salas was quick to offer help, both on the job and off. Criswell says he and a co-worker recently enjoyed some laughs while remembering that part of their friend.
“We remembered how, if you ever mentioned some issue that you had with your house or a car or anything, you could just see Ken’s gears start turning and he couldn’t help but start thinking of ways to fix it and always offered to show up with his tools in hand.”
Sheriff John Nowels says Salas was the perfect example of a public servant.
“Sergeant Salas, Sarge, Ken, friend and humble servant, rest easy, brother. We have the watch from here," he said.
The ceremony was preceded by a long procession of law enforcement vehicles.
The service also included Scottish bagpipes, the folding and presentation of the American flag to Salas’ widow and the removal of the casket by some of Salas’ co-workers.
