Gary Frederick Labenz

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office — Phoenix, AZ

Cardiac

End of Watch October 10, 2005

Age 50

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

The Vigil Panel 153 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Gary Labenz suffered a fatal heart attack in San Antonio, Texas, while returning to Arizona after participating in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The relief team Deputy Labenz was assigned to rescued more than 100 citizens and recovered more than 50 bodies while conducting recovery efforts.

After their assignment was over, the team stopped in San Antonio for the night on their return trip home. Deputy Labenz suffered a heart attack in his hotel room that evening. His body was found by other deputies the following morning.

Deputy Labenz had served with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for 19 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AZ-861A9A05
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Labenz gave the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Phoenix community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Labenz.

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

Agency

Department Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

Location Phoenix, AZ

Platform Identity mcso.maricopa.az.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 10, 2005

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Deputy Sheriff Gary Frederick Labenz is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In AZ, 11 of 330 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.3% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

At Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 28 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.6% of this agency's fallen.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

of 28 officers

3.6% Cardiac

AZ — Statewide

of 330 officers

3.3% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac