Chehalis Police Officer Rick Silva
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Chehalis Police Officer Rick Silva will be posthumously awarded the medal of honor today, for his exceptionally meritorious conduct while serving as a law enforcement officer.
The public ceremony will be held at noon at the state capitol in Olympia.
In addition, Officer Silva’s name will be unveiled at the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial.
The Silva family as well as members of the Chehalis Police Department will be in attendance.
Silva died on June 18 of last year, not specifically while he was working, but in a line of duty death. He passed away due to complications during surgery he was undergoing related to a physical struggle with a resisting shoplifter earlier in the year, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
The 61-year-old began his law enforcement career in 1988 at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and in 2002, he went to work for Chehalis.
The local community will be honoring Silva on June 16 at a ceremony during which his name will be unveiled on the Lewis County Law Enforcement Memorial at the front of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis, off Main Street.
Officer Silva will also be honored in Washington D.C. on May 15 during the 35th National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, with his name added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial.
Police Chief Glenn Schaffer and two of the department’s honor guard members will be in attendance to escort Silva’s family to the various ceremonies and events.
National Police Week takes place Thursday through May 16.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department has a team taking part in a 300-mile bicycle ride to recognize and honor the sacrifices of officers who have died in the line of duty, and will be riding for Silva and two other officers from the Pacific Northwest who lost their lives during 2015. The Police Unity Tour finishes in Washington D.C., when the riders meet up with fallen officers’ families and present them with memorial bracelets worn during the ride at a candlelight vigil on Thursday.
Today’s ceremony on the campus of the state capitol will also be recognizing 11 other officers receiving the Washington State Law Enforcement medal of honor. Silva’s is one of three names being added to the memorial wall.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Brent Hanger died last Aug. 6 and the third line of duty death being recognized today is Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Deputy James M. Bennett who died July 14, 1911.
Behind the Badge Foundation and the Washington State Medal of Honor Committee are responsible for organizing and hosting today’s event.
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For background, read “Chehalis police mourn loss of veteran officer” from Friday June 19, 2015, here
@bo you have no respect for law enforcement if any kind. Were you righteous when you violated all those restraining orders and spent time in Winona county jail for exactly that? Sit down and grow up Bo Rupert. You are the child behind the keyboard – talking crap and running away from the law.
I don’t know BO. You say you are glad Rick Silva is dead and he should burn in hell and yet when someone says something about you it’s I’ll beat the shit out of you.
Why don’t you got top Rick’s wife and kids and tell them face-to-face how happy you are their husband and dad is dead.
I had some respect for you but it is gone now. As far as burning in hell Bo there is spot waiting for you I am afraid.
Oh let me guess Rick Silva once placed you in handcuffs. Boo hoo I hate cops because they arrest me. Sheesh do not commit crimes and you won’t get arrested dopey.
There is nothing wrong with me psychologically. I say what I say because it is true that is why you attack me because you can’t attack my message.
Really ? That is your answer when you are identified ? How interesting. Not !!! See ? Same old tired rhetoric. See if I go to the prom with you lolololol . You need to find a new place to troll ole’ Bo as folks here are no longer amused by your ravings and bad manners, if they ever were. Maybe if you got a job or a hobby, oh I know YOU could move seeing as you have such contempt for authority here in Lewis Co.. You prove my point though , me thinks there are lots of misdemeanors and assorted crimes in your travels to make you so hostile and rude as some of my fellow commentators have reported. Anyway I actually have a life so I will leave you too your paranoid rantings , you might want to get those meds adjusted just a tad though.
No you just can’t handle the truth!
See he’s jst rude and full of hate!
Well sunshinegirl,
Since you want to be a liberal and give up your gun rights. Why don’t you move to Russia? And no there are a lot of people who are glad Rick Silva dropped dead
I do not know who all these folks on here who are disrespecting some one else but they are probably the same old dregs of society who contribute nothing. I am 65 and have lived here in Lewis County for almost all of it. I have availed myself of Lewis Co. law enforcement many many times . I have almost always found them to be helpful and polite , but then they have never had to arrest me or listen to my victims complaints. I have never hesitated to call when in trouble, even when it appeared I might actually be the trouble. I was treated politely and kindly. I am not naïve or oblivious , I am aware that there are bad in every walk of life and occupation . That is just a fact of life. My experience has been that the people who complain about them are the folks who have law enforcement called on them. These folks never accept responsibility for anything so it is not surprising to see them spewing their tired old rhetoric on here. The poor old picked on me group. We recently lost a most beloved officer in our community this last year and I was proud of how he was honored. I am sure that there are folks in Officer Silva’s community that feel the same. I do not want to carry a gun anymore , I want to leave it to the men in blue. I for one am grateful for their presence .
see there you are a pure coward. I am not offended. Just would love to beat the hell out of you because you don’t know what you are talking about. Show me one thing I have said about anyone on here ever that was false????????
Ur not worth it! U can talk shit about people on here but can’t take it back! Ur not worth it! Fight don’t solve nothing! U need to grow up and listen to your own words then ask urself why the haters!! If u don’t care what others think then why u so offended??
Hey what,
Why don’t you meet me some place and talk this shit to my face. You are just another one of those who cowardly hides behind a computer under a fake name and talks shit. But I can guarantee you one thing, you won’t walk up to me and talk this crap to my face and neither will the others who think like you do about me. Time and Place?????? Put up or shut up
How do you know he’s not sleeping there? I can say my opinions jst like he can!! And you! I’m jst one of the many that think so!
What ever What really Sheez what has Bo really done that deserves running him out of town… At least he not sleeping on a park bench at the Am Track Station with a bottle of Wine…. piss up a rope What..
Well I will be around for awhile. If you are man enough to run me out of town yourself why don’t you just try?
Ya bo we’ve all seen ur disgusting stuff online!!! Hope u leave or get ran out of lewis co soon!!! You’d b one missing person noone looks for! Ur one of those creeps that’s a lose cannon u will destroy urself before anyone else needs too!! Vote for BO TO GO AWAY!!!!
I will never be bullied, intimidated, or otherwise oppressed to stop doing what I do. I don’t care what anyone says about me publicly, on sirens, on social media or anywhere else. I am righteous in doing what I do and I will never quit doing that unless they silence my tongue permanently. I don’t care what horrible, nasty, untrue, libelous personal attacks people launch against me, I will never lose my spirit or my desire to do what is right and see to it that the right thing is done. I will never quit fighting for the abused, oppressed, the weak, and those who are in too much fear to speak up or fight back. I want to thank all of you who have supported me and believed me and believed in me along the way. Your support is forever appreciated. Don’t ever be afraid to speak up and fight against evil.
Keep fighting patriots,
Bo D. Rupert
Hey Steve, Vote for Bo Rupert!!!!!!!!
BobbyinLC, I totally agree with you. However, I’m guessing Rupert is a convicted felon and I don’t think a convicted felon can run for a public office. With that being said I’m sure if he even attempted to do so he’d be laughed off.
Thoughts and prayers to the fallen Chelan County Deputy from 1911, back when police actually served the people!
I have no regrets and I stand behind just what I said. Rick Silva couldn’t have died a day sooner. What happened to him couldn’t have happened to a better person. I hope he is burning in hell
Bo, to be glad anyone is dead just shows how immature and rude you are. Comments like this will be well remembered when you run for public office in Lewis County like you have been telling people you are going to do.
It seems the people on this page who hate the police the most are the ones who have been arrested in the past. Go figure.
Cops are nothing more than glorified proctologists with badges and guns. Nothing dangerous about dealing with assholes all day every day.
Let me guess Hernandez… convicted felon? Suspended license??? I bet your pals with Rupert, why dont you move if you don’t like our local police!
Most officers that are currently out on the streets are far from heroes. More likely they are bullies. I’m sorry when anyone passes but these guys are rarely heroes,usually far from it. Just keeping it real.
Bo Rupert there is a special place in hell for a guy like you. Only a fascists commy would say some garbage like that yet when it’s your life on the line you’re not calling 411 for help…I guess it’s your right to state your opinion even if it’s that of an uneducated undeserving coward..
STFU Bo Rupert! You should be ashamed of yourself! Why don’t you go back under the bridge you crawled out from! If I were you I would repent to god for the statement you just made! You are a disgrace to humanity!!
@ Mr Rupert. That was in very poor taste.
AND WE WILL BE HAPPIER WHEN YOUR GONE BO!! Your 1 rude person!!!!!!!
There was absolutely nothing honorable about Rick Silva. I am glad he is gone. Nothing made me happier