Memorial set Wednesday for fallen Merced police officer

A memorial set for Wednesday in Merced will honor the life of Officer Stephan Gray, who died in the line of duty 11 years ago, the Police Department confirmed.

Gray, 34, was shot and killed April 15, 2004, chasing a gang member who ran during a traffic stop. The killer was captured after a nearly three-week manhunt and remains on death row.

The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the department’s central station, 611 W. 22nd St., officers said.

“All of the officers have pledged to never forget his life and the sacrifice he made for the safety of this community,” Capt. Bimley West said Monday. “The ceremony is just one way they honor that commitment, along with his family and his friends.”

Gray was survived by his widow, Michelle, and three children, ages 2, 6, and 13, when he died.

The Merced Police Officers Association last year unveiled a monument to the department’s fallen peace officers. The 6-foot monument stands outside the Police Department headquarters building, looming over the engraved epitaph: “duty, honor, sacrifice.”

The memorial was constructed entirely from donations under the supervision of the police union.

Gray was the second Merced officer killed in the line of duty in the department’s history. Sgt. Edward Leap, a veteran of World War I, died in November 1946 when his vehicle collided with a train. He had been a Merced police officer for eight years.

Merced County has lost a total of 15 police officers, deputies, wardens and correctional officers in the line of duty over the last 100 years, according to county authorities.

This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 7:31 PM with the headline "Memorial set Wednesday for fallen Merced police officer."