Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota’s reputation as someone keen on mechanical expertise was well-known.
“Some of my fondest memories with my dad are the late nights that I spent with him out in his shop,” Sahota’s son Colton said. “I sincerely believe that given enough time and the proper equipment, he could fix anything.”
He, alongside Sahota’s daughter Kylie DaCunha and son-in-law Devin DaCunha, were among family who memorialized Sahota at a ceremony at ilani on Feb. 8.
“I truly do appreciate all he did and all I was blessed with the opportunity to learn from him, whether that was what it takes to change a transmission, build a rifle, or even what a marriage might take,” Devin DaCunha said.
The family members were among a number of speakers including co-workers at the Vancouver Police Department who painted a picture of a man devoted to helping, in and outside of his law enforcement career. Sahota, who was not on duty, was fatally shot by a Clark County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Feller who was pursuing a robbery suspect that had stabbed Sahota at his Battle Ground residence on Jan. 29. The investigation is in its finishing stages, stated a news release from the Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team on Feb. 11. The findings of the investigation were scheduled to be presented to the Clark County prosecutor on Feb. 15 for review.
Sahota began his law enforcement career with the Gresham Police Department in 1994 where he served for 17 years before joining the Port of Portland police. He joined VPD in 2014, the third hire police chief James McElvain made since he became chief.
McElvain said he was “truly devastated” by Sahota’s death.
“I have no words to fill the void he has left behind other than I am so sorry for our loss,” McElvain said.
Gov. Jay Inslee met privately with the Sahota family earlier in the day, McElvain said, thanking the governor for attending the memorial. He said he learned from Sahota’s mother that he had wanted to be a police officer from an early age.
“She said he just wanted to help people,” McElvain said.
The police chief recounted a quote from Fred Rogers that states “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
“While the situations might not always have been scary, Don was always there helping,” McElvain said.
Hundreds of law enforcement personnel took part in a procession from Vancouver to ilani along Interstate 5 with Sahota’s casket and family prior to the service. Numerous members of law enforcement at the memorial wore masks bearing “1531,” Sahota’s badge number.
Former VPD Officer Robin Brown, who worked with Sahota both on patrol and in the department’s training unit, said she considered Sahota “a friend, not just a partner.”
“It was awesome to have him as a beat partner. When I was new, he had so much experience and wisdom to offer,” Brown said.
Brown shared a few memories on the beat with Sahota, from chasing down a suspect to downtime at the scene, talking about his family.
“He reminded me to spend time with family and hold on tightly to them, because family is more important than anything,” Brown said.
Sahota’s sense of duty went toward both his job and his loved ones.
“We know Don always answered that calling, even at the very end, but he balanced that with the things that mattered even more than this job,” Brown said.
Vancouver Police Department Detective Shane Hall met Sahota while he was still working at Gresham. They ran into each other at their children’s soccer games. They both were assigned to investigations at their respective departments at that time, finding a connection through their similar experiences on the job.
“What struck me about Don is it had felt like I had known him for decades. It felt like we had grown up together,” Hall said.
Hall also recalled Sahota’s technical knowhow, as he repaired Hall’s vehicle after a breakdown, and his reverence for his wife, Dawnese.
“He’s brought honor to his family, his department and his community,” Hall said.
Family friend James Reinhardt first met Sahota while they coached a youth soccer team. He said Sahota served as the “shepherd” for the team and was able to notice when certain players needed a little more encouragement and mentoring.
“His motivation for the things he did all revolved around his family and their wellbeing,” Reinhardt said. “Don was a man you wanted to pattern your own life after. He commanded respect through his actions, not just words.”
