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Deputy killed in wreck laid to rest

Mourners remember a deputy dedicated to family, work

BY JASON KOTOWSKI, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jkotowski@bakersfield.com | Friday, May 30 2008 3:09 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Jun 2 2008 10:16 AM

Family took priority over everything else in Deputy James Throne’s life, but the Kern County Sheriff’s Department was in some ways a second love.

Throne couldn’t wait to get out on the streets when on duty at the Lamont substation. He had a strict work ethic and an attitude his fellow deputies admired.

That’s not to say that Throne, who died May 23 in a collision with another patrol car, didn’t have a sense of humor.

Joe Yearton, Throne’s brother-in-law, said the deputy was a very funny guy. One time Throne approached his brother-in-law and said he needed to see a veterinarian.

“Why?” Yearton asked.

Throne flexed his biceps and said, “Because these puppies are sick!”

The joke was doubly funny because Throne was relatively small in stature.

There was an equal measure of laughter and tears during his funeral service Friday at Canyon Hills Assembly of God Church in northeast Bakersfield. A photo montage of Throne played on a screen in the back of the church throughout the service, which kicked off with Metallica’s “Hero of the Day” blasting from the speakers.

The montage included photos from his wedding eight years ago and performing training exercises while a sheriff’s department cadet. Many photos just showed him relaxing with friends and family, playing video games or sticking his tongue out at the camera and goofing around.

Sgt. Mike Dunham, who has been stationed at the Lamont substation for 18 months, said he heard about Throne well before he arrived there. People who knew Throne told Dunham what a wonderful deputy Throne was and how lucky Dunham would be to work with him.

Dunham said everything he was told was true, but it didn’t began to scratch the surface of what Throne brought to the station.

“I found so much more,” Dunham said. “What I found was a leader.”

Throne was an expert at drug identification and often testified in court as an expert witness, Senior Deputy John Money said. During one six-month span last year, Throne was involved in 280 drug arrests.

“Some people don’t have that many in their career,” Money said.

Several other deputies spoke, some fighting back tears, all saying how much Throne will be missed.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Throne died young, but his job performance and overall character made the world a better place.

“It’s what you do during your lifetime that’s important,” Youngblood said. “James lived a full and impacting life.”

At the end of the service Throne’s wife, Amanda Throne, said one last goodbye to her husband, as did several other family members, before the lid to the casket was closed. Relatives hugged each other and sobbed as a country song was played and the casket was carried out of the church.

A massive procession comprised of hundreds of law enforcement vehicles traveled to Hillcrest Memorial Park. There, Youngblood gave Amanda Throne the flag that draped Throne’s casket and whispered a few words to her.

Youngblood said later that he told Amanda Throne that it’s the sheriff’s department’s job to keep Throne’s memory alive, and they’ll always be there to help the family.

Throne died in a crash at Blackburn Street and Weedpatch Highway that also seriously injured Deputy Doug Swanson as both men were responding to a foot chase. Swanson was scheduled to have another surgery Friday and faces a long recovery, Youngblood said.

“Usually (when a deputy is killed) we have somebody we can be mad at,” Youngblood said. “We don’t have that this time.”

“It’s a tough day for us.”