Bill Text: CA ACR159 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Deputy Sheriffs Deeds and Del Fiorentino memorial highways.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-09-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 177, Statutes of 2014. [ACR159 Detail]
Download: California-2013-ACR159-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 159 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 177
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 27, 2014
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 28, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 17, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chesbro
(Coauthor: Senator Evans)
JUNE 10, 2014
Relative to memorial highways.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 159, Chesbro. Deputy Sheriffs Deeds and Del Fiorentino
memorial highways.
This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway
Route 116 in the County of Sonoma as the Deputy Sheriff Merrit W.
Deeds Memorial Highway. This measure would also designate a specified
portion of State Highway Route 1 in the County of Mendocino as the
Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino Memorial Highway. The measure
would request that the Department of Transportation determine the
cost of appropriate signs showing each of those special designations
and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that
cost, to erect those signs.
WHEREAS, Merrit W. Deeds was born on February 23, 1943, in
Rohnerville, California, grew up in Sonoma County, and graduated from
Healdsburg High School in 1960; and
WHEREAS, Merrit W. Deeds joined the United States Army in 1964 and
served in Vietnam in the 81st Airborne Infantry Division; and
WHEREAS, Merrit W. Deeds first served with the Sonoma County
Sheriff's Office in 1970 as a Summer Deputy and was assigned to the
Guerneville Substation; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Sacramento State University, Merrit
W. Deeds moved to Alaska to attend the Alaska State Trooper Academy
and, upon graduation from the academy, became an Alaska State
Trooper; and
WHEREAS, Merrit W. Deeds moved back to California in 1975 with his
wife and again became a Summer Deputy for the Sonoma County Sheriff'
s Office on May 23, 1975; and
WHEREAS, On August 23, 1975, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office
notified Merrit W. Deeds that he was to become a permanent, full-time
Deputy Sheriff with the sheriff's office; and
WHEREAS, Only hours after this notification, Deputy Sheriff Deeds
was patrolling State Highway Route 116 near Jenner when he stopped to
talk with three men who were parked on the side of the road; and
WHEREAS, The driver of the vehicle fired two shots at Deputy
Sheriff Deeds, the second of which was fatal; and
WHEREAS, Reserve Deputy Rex Nance, who was off duty, stopped to
assist, and Deputy Sheriff Deeds was able to warn him that the driver
had a gun, possibly saving Reserve Deputy Nance's life; and
WHEREAS, At 32 years of age, Deputy Sheriff Deeds sacrificed his
life in meritorious service for the residents of the County of Sonoma
and the State of California; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Deeds was survived by his wife and two
small daughters; and
WHEREAS, Ricky Paul Del Fiorentino was born on May 28, 1965, in
Napa California. He was one of six children, his brother, Peter, and
his four sisters, Anna Marie, Jaime, Debra Amaral, and Anne Gibson;
and
WHEREAS, Ricky Paul Del Fiorentino attended Napa High School,
Class of 1983, the University of Oklahoma, and the Napa Valley
College Police Academy; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino began his law enforcement
career with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, from 1988 to 1990,
inclusive, then worked with the Fort Bragg Police Department as a
Patrol Officer and Detective, from 1990 to 2000, inclusive, and
finally returned to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office as a Deputy
Sheriff in 2000; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino was a defensive tactics
instructor, had been a member of the Mendocino County Sheriff's
Office Special Weapons and Tactics team, and had been the president
of the Coast Chapter of the Police Activities League; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino was a very visible presence
in the Fort Bragg community, and had also coached wrestling at the
local high school; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino was inducted into the Napa
High School Hall of Fame in 1998, and won a Gold Medal in the 2003
California Police Olympics in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle
wrestling; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino enjoyed spending time with
his family and friends, enjoyed cooking, and loved the outdoors,
being an avid hunter, fisherman, and diver; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino had a "larger than life"
personality and went out of his way to make people feel at ease and
to solve problems. He often put the needs of others ahead of his own
and would reach out to help people that he did not know; and
WHEREAS, On March 19, 2014, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino
responded to a shooting in Cleone, a small community a few miles
north of Fort Bragg in the County of Mendocino; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino spotted the suspect vehicle
stopped in the roadway in a residential area and was immediately
ambushed by the suspect who fired numerous rifle rounds into Del
Fiorentino's patrol vehicle, killing him. Seconds later the suspect
fired on a Fort Bragg Police Lieutenant who killed the suspect in the
gun battle; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino made the ultimate sacrifice
in the service of the residents of the County of Mendocino and the
State of California; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Del Fiorentino is survived by his wife,
Beth Marie Del Fiorentino, and his five children, and three
grandchildren; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the five
mile portion of State Highway Route 116 immediately south of the
junction of State Highway Route 1, in the County of Sonoma as the
Deputy Sheriff Merrit W. Deeds Memorial Highway; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature hereby designates the portion of
State Highway Route 1, between milepost marker 62.0 and milepost
marker 65.0, adjacent to MacKerricher State Park in the County of
Mendocino as the Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino Memorial
Highway; and be it further
Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested to
determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the signing
requirements for the state highway system showing each of these
special designations and, upon receiving donations from nonstate
sources sufficient to cover the cost of the signs for which the
donations were made, to erect those signs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.
