Gary Raymond Downs

Nye County Sheriff's Department — Tonopah, NV

Veteran → Cardiac

End of Watch August 22, 1992

Age 45

Badge T3

The Vigil Panel 138 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Deputy Gary Downs suffered a heart attack following a struggle in which he was punched in the chest. The incident occurred after several deputies responded to a report of a man attempting to gain entry into a house after he had been thrown out by the owner. A violent struggle ensued between the suspect and the deputies in which Deputy Downs was punched in the chest. He collapsed at the scene and died a short time later at the hospital.

Survivors

Deputy Downs was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NV-B45DB55D
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Gary is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Downs served with the Nye County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Tonopah community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Downs.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Nye County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Tonopah, Nye County, NV

Platform Identity ncso.nye.nv.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 22, 1992

Age 45

Badge Number T3

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Gary Raymond Downs served in the U.S. Army (1966â1968) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Gary Raymond Downs is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NV, 9 of 146 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 6.2% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Nye County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 7 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 14.3% of this agency's fallen.

Nye County Sheriff's Department

of 7 officers

14.3% Cardiac

NV — Statewide

of 146 officers

6.2% Cardiac

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Cardiac