Thread: Arizona sheriff Larry Dever, 60, dies in one-car wreck

Arizona sheriff Larry Dever, 60, dies in one-car wreck

September 19, 2012
Associated Press

WILLIAMS, Ariz. – 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.

Read more: Arizona sheriff Larry Dever, 60, dies in one-car wreck | Fox News

Oh No.

W

Sheriff Larry Dever of Cochise County Dies in One-Car Wreck on Dirt Road Near Williams


By Ray SternWed., Sep. 19 2012 at 7:51 AM

Image: Jamie Peachey

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever died in a one-car crash near Williams on Tuesday night.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever, a likeable symbol of the lawless U.S. border with Mexico, died in a one-car crash on a forest road near Williams on Tuesday night.The cause of accident is under investigation; media reports say Dever was on his way to a hunting trip with one of his six sons.
Dever is survived by his wife, Nancy, six sons and 13 grandchildren.
See Also: Larry Dever is a Real Arizona Sheriff

Dever was known as a no-nonsense, right-wing border sheriff.

Dever was a cowboy-hat-and-boot-wearing, no-nonsense lawman who's right-wing political views were peppered with pragmatism, a politician trusted by Republicans and some Democratic parties.A resident of St. David, (population: about 1,700), Dever became a deputy in 1976 and still carries scars on his face from a shootout with members of a Christian cult in 1982. Due to the county's porous border with Mexico, illegal immigration has been Dever's top issue since first being elected in 1996. The issue became even bigger following crackdowns in California and western Arizona, causing more migrants to choose Cochise County as their route to American jobs. Dever's knowledge and experience on the hot-button issue was sought by nearly everyone trying to understand the problems of border enforcement.
Former New Times' writer Paul Rubin profiled Dever in April, in a story entitled "Larry Dever is a Real Arizona Sheriff." Here's a passage that embodies Dever's realist views:

It would be easy for me to say, 'You cross the border and we catch you, you're going to jail, line in the sand.' Not going to happen. The system can't absorb that kind of pressure. I'm not going to suggest that I'm a moderate on the whole issue, but I'm not a hawk, either," he insists. "There are shrill voices on both sides, and my job is to try to keep the lid on."

Dever was also a staunch supporter of SB1070 who believed the federal government had failed to control the southern border.
One of Dever's political allies, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, (whose "loosey-goosey" lifestyle didn't necessarily sit well with Dever) issued the following statement from his office: "I'm shocked and saddened to hear of Larry Dever's death, he was my friend, a leader on border security and leader among Sheriffs. This is a great loss to Arizona, a true patriot has died and he will be sorely missed."
Arizona Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain just released this statement:

We were deeply saddened to learn about the sudden death of our friend Larry Dever. We spent a great deal of time at the border with Sheriff Dever and know first-hand his long commitment to keeping the people of our state safe. We also admired Sheriff Dever's strength to speak out when he believed more needed to be done to secure our border.Sheriff Dever was not only a leader in Cochise County, but also across Arizona and throughout the law enforcement community. Sheriff Dever was a man of honor, integrity, and selfless service to the State of Arizona. He will be greatly missed.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Nancy, their sons, and the rest of Dever family
Sheriff Larry Dever of Cochise County Dies in One-Car Wreck on Dirt Road Near Williams - Phoenix - News - Valley Fever

Seems suspicious to me...

CREATED 1:29 PM
Web Producer: Rikki Mitchell
KGUN9

TUCSOn (KGUN9-TV) - In a statement released Wednesday, Gov. Jan Brewer ordered all flags at state buildings to be lowered to half-staff until the end of the day in honor of Sheriff Larry Dever's death.

Brewer says the flags will be lowered again on the day of his interment, which is still pending.

Here is Brewer's official statement:

“Like all Arizonans, I was shocked to learn this morning that Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever had been killed hours earlier in a one-car accident while traveling in northern Arizona. True to form for this husband, father of six and grandfather, he was reportedly en route to meet several members of his family for a Fall hunting and camping trip in the Arizona high country.

I had known Sheriff Dever for well over a decade, stretching back to my days with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. I’ll remember him in his cowboy hat – soft-spoken and unfailingly polite, but firm in his beliefs and steady in his service to the law. In the truest sense, Sheriff Dever was a Western lawman and country gentleman.

Arizona has lost a leader of more than three decades in our law enforcement community. My thoughts and prayers today – and those of Arizonans, I am sure – are with his wife, Nancy, their children, friends and colleagues as they cope with this terrible loss

In honor of Sheriff Larry Albert Dever and his 34 years of dedicated service to the State of Arizona, and for the peace of mind he has provided the citizens of Cochise County, I have ordered that flags at all State buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset today, September 19, 2012, and again on his day of interment, for which services are pending."

Gov. Brewer orders flags at half-staff in honor of Sheriff Dever - KGUN9.com

Originally Posted by SicNTiredInSoCal

Seems suspicious to me...

--------------------------------------------

GMTA