Roll of Honor

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Undersheriff

Gary Caponera

Bent County Sheriff's Office — Las Animas, CO

Cardiac Veteran →

End of Watch October 9, 1999

Age 50

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

The Vigil Panel 146 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 2

Incident

Undersheriff Gary Caponera suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting a training course.

During the training, he became ill and was taken to a local hospital by fellow officers. He was pronounced dead at the hospital due to a massive heart attack.

Undersheriff Caponera was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and had served in law enforcement for 28 years. He had previously served with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and Adams County Sheriff's Office.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two grown children, and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CO-F628A39D
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 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.
Undersheriff Caponera gave the Bent County Sheriff's Office 28 years.
Thank you for your service to the Las Animas community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Bent County Sheriff's Office

Location Las Animas, CO

Platform Identity bcso.bent.co.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 9, 1999

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Gary Caponera served in the Air Force (1968â1972) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Undersheriff Gary Caponera 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 CO, 11 of 360 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.1% of this state's fallen. That is 0.9 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

At Bent County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Bent County Sheriff's Office

of 3 officers

33.3% Cardiac

CO — Statewide

of 360 officers

3.1% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gary Caponera's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Gary Caponera Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 48.6 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 15.6 years

When Cardiac Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Gary Caponera is highlighted in Oct.

Jan

124

Feb

105

Mar

Apr

116

May

115

Jun

Jul

Aug

104

Sep

109

Oct

121

Nov

113

Dec

111

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Bent County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.