Officers head up to Sacramento

In 1987, Newport Beach Sgt. Steven Donald Van Horn was one of the first officers to respond to the scene of a massive fire in an industrial part of the city.

As is typical with police responding to a fire, Van Horn began doing traffic control and evacuating people nearby who could be in danger.

As the blaze consumed the Hixson Metal Finishing Plating plant, a deadly cloud of toxic gas wafted out into the area. Van Horn wasn’t wearing protective gear or an oxygen mask and inhaled it.

Residents weren’t allowed to return to their homes or businesses in the area for nearly five days, but for Van Horn, the damage had already been done.

Van Horn developed leukemia and died 10 years after the fire. The Police Department considers his death as one in the line of duty.

While Van Horn’s death was slower and more painful than some, all are honored the same and will be remembered. Today, police from across the state are honoring officers who died within the last year at the California Peace Officers Memorial in Sacramento, where their names will be inscribed on a bronze sculpture.

On Thursday, Orange County sent more than 50 officers from Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Santa Ana and others in a caravan of 15 marked vehicles north.

“Sometimes people forget that law enforcement is a difficult job. They can go at any time when they go to work. We want to honor the people who’ve made that sacrifice,” said Costa Mesa Police Officer Eugene Kim. “In law enforcement we all do different things, but ultimately we all started at the academy, we all wear a uniform and a badge. We’ve all had a similar experience of working in a patrol car in the middle of the night.”

Costa Mesa lost two officers to a helicopter crash in 1987 and Newport Beach lost another officer in 1995 to a suicidal gunman.

“We need to keep the memories of the fallen officers alive and this is one small way we can do that,” said Costa Mesa Police Officer Allen Rieckhof.