Portion of Highway 29 in Lakeport renamed for fallen deputy
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lake County Deputy sheriff who died in the line of duty last year received a special and permanent honor on Thursday when a section of Highway 29 in Lakeport was renamed in his honor.
The Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt Memorial Highway was dedicated during a special ceremony on Thursday morning.
Congressman Mike Thompson, state Sen. Mike McGuire, Sheriff Brian Martin, Tom Fitzgerald of Caltrans District 1, Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Steele and Supervisor Moke Simon, who also is Rumfelt’s cousin, were among the dignitaries on hand for the occasion. Rumfelt’s family also was in attendance to mark the day.
Agencies in attendance included Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Clearlake Police Department, Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lakeport Police Department. Council members and city staff from Clearlake and Lakeport, District Attorney-elect Susan Krones and Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg also were there to show their respects.
The event was held at the Lakeport Cinema 5, a short distance from where the sign would later be put into place along the highway, near the intersection of Highway 29 and Soda Bay Road.
Rumfelt died on the night of Aug. 22, 2017, following a physical fight with a domestic violence suspect in Lakeport.
He and another deputy had taken the suspect into custody and then he had gotten into his patrol SUV and left the scene. Witnesses said he drove a short way before slumping over, crashing into a tree not long afterward. Lakeport Fire transported him to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where he died a short time later, as Lake County News has reported.
The medical examiner would later conclude that Rumfelt suffered sudden cardiac death 30 minutes after a stressful physical encounter.
His death came as a huge blow to the sheriff’s office, which only a year previously had mourned the loss of Deputy Jake Steely, who was mortally injured after he and his son were swept into the ocean at Fort Bragg.
“Deputy Rumfelt was an incredible human being,” said Thompson, noting his service as a Marine, a policy officer, a deputy and family man. “He was a cop’s cop.”
Sen. McGuire, who wrote the legislation that made the highway renaming possible, recognized the many organizations and dignitaries in attendance.
He noted that renaming a highway for a person is one of the greatest honors the state offers.
Sheriff Martin, who acted as master of ceremonies for the event, said there were many agencies and individuals who worked behind the scenes to bring the effort together.
“It’s been 415 difficult days since we lost Rob,” said Martin, who recalled Rumfelt as a friend.
He said the sign also is a reminder of how dangerous the law enforcement profession is.
Martin said Rumfelt had his own way of doing things. He was direct, sometimes blunt and tough, and had strong leadership capabilities; he also didn’t tolerate laziness, whether it was at the gym, on duty or as a coach at Clear Lake High School.
“He was a very proud man,” said Martin.
Martin said that, although they were friends, he didn’t know all about some of Rumfelt’s achievements, including how in March 2010, while working as a government contractor in Iraq, he saved the life of a gravely injured soldier during an improvised explosive device attack.
More recently, during the 2015 Valley fire, Rumfelt braved the flames to rescue south county residents, Martin said. But Rumfelt never bragged about his achievements.
“The loss of such a good deputy leaves a void in our community,” Martin said.
The sheriff said Rumfelt won’t be forgotten. “Godspeed, Rob. We love you.”
Fitzgerald said one is hard-pressed to find a community where agencies work together as well as they do in Lake County, which he said has become more clear over the past few years.
He also recognized Rumfelt’s loss for the community.
Supervisor Steele noted Rumfelt’s dedication. “Truly, he served his country, he served this county,” he said.
He then read a proclamation recognizing Rumfelt’s life.
Rumfelt’s father, Bob, joined by Simon, thanked everyone who came to honor his son.
“Rob would not appreciate this like we do,” said Bob Rumfelt.
He added, “We miss Rob every day.”
Wearing a Raiders shirt in his cousin’s honor, Simon called Rob Rumfelt “a superhero to me.”
Simon continued, “This is a good honor for a great man.”
At the end of the ceremony, Rumfelt’s family members were called forward to open small reproductions of the highway sign as Sheriff Martin and Supervisor Simon unveiled the large green and white highway sign.
McGuire then invited up Rumfelt’s friends and other community members for photos with the sign, which was later mounted along the roadway.
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