On December 17th, 2011, Deputy Cole Bunyard survived a violent attack that came without warning while he was conducting a traffic stop in Gerlach, Nevada.
With backup over 100 miles away and unable to get to his K9 partner who was in the patrol vehicle, Deputy Bunyard attempted to retreat to his Patrol vehicle and manually deploy his K9 partner Ben. After a lengthy and violent assault, Deputy Bunyard used extensive defensive tactics to control the subject, who was ultimately placed under arrest.
On Friday, May 4th at 10am at Idlewild Park, Reno, Deputy Cole Bunyard will be honored with the “Survivor Award” at the James D. Hoff Peace Officer Memorial to commemorate his heroic efforts. Board of Directors for the Hoff Memorial present Survivor’s Awards each year to those law enforcement personnel that have encountered life-threatening ordeals and survived.
The James D. Hoff Peace Officer Memorial was dedicated on October 22, 1988 in memory of Reno Police Officer James Duane Hoff, who died in the line of duty on June 25, 1979. The Hoff memorial service and awards ceremony is held every May and is scheduled in conjunction with National Law Enforcement Memorial Week honoring those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
For more information on the James D. Hoff Peace Officer Memorial and the Survivor Award, go to www.hoffmemorial.org.
