Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective Derrick Focht suffered a fatal heart attack following a shooting investigation involving two gang members. He attempted to interview the two uncooperative suspects at their residence.
He began to experience chest pain but returned to his office to continue working on his investigation. The following day he underwent a scheduled stress test. He was found unresponsive in the hospital parking lot a short time later by security.
Detective Focht was a U.S. Navy veteran. He had served with the Kent Police Department for 20 years and had previously served as a corrections officer with both the King County Sheriff's Office and Grant County Sheriff's Office.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-17069BE8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Derrick is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective Focht gave the Kent Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kent community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Derrick William Focht served in the U.S. Navy (1988â1990) before joining law enforcement.
Detective Derrick William Focht is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In WA, 18 of 340 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.3% of this state's fallen. That is 5.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Kent Police Department, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Derrick William Focht's cause is highlighted.
How Derrick William Focht Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Derrick William Focht is highlighted in Apr.
Military Service
Derrick William Focht served in the U.S. Navy (1988–1990) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Derrick William Focht’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Kent Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
