“Our continued thoughts and prayers are with all of his family members,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
A candlelight vigil was held on Saturday and a service on Monday.
Yates was also remembered at a statewide memorial ceremony earlier this month.
Clark County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Kristopher Shultz said then that the 41-year-old Yates was “the kind of person that we wish every law enforcement officer could be.”
“I have never heard a single person ever — whether in the criminal justice community or the criminal community — ever have a bad word to say about Matt Yates,” Shultz said.
Credit: Clark County Sheriff's Office/Provided
Credit: Clark County Sheriff's Office/Provided
Four other Clark County deputies died in the line of duty before Yates, according to the sheriff’s office. They were Sheriff John Layton in 1881, Chief Edward Furry in 1937, Deputy Gregory Raynor in 1978 and Deputy Suzanne Hopper in 2011.
Yates was killed inside a trailer at the Harmony Estates as he responded to a report of a shooting in July 2022. Investigators later determined that Cole White, 27, shot and killed his mother, Jodie Arbuckle, 47, and then Yates as deputies entered the trailer. Arbuckle went to the trailer to check on her son, who had mental health issues.
White engaged in a standoff with law enforcement for hours before teams could remove Yates’ body. The trailer erupted in flames shortly after.
The purpose of the national memorial wall is to allow the names of the fallen to be “remembered and revered forever,” according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial website.
“A place of honor, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial features the names of the Official Line-of-Duty Fallen Heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” the website states.
The memorial has more than 22,000 names, dating back to 1786 — the first known law enforcement death in the U.S. It has two 304-foot-long walls and sits in Judiciary Square, the historic seat of the nation’s judicial government branch.
“The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers each and every day,” Memorial Executive Director Bill Alexander said on the memorial’s website. “As we reflect on the service of these fallen heroes, particularly during Police Week 2023, we are reminded of the tremendous risks that law enforcement officers face in the line of duty. We must never forget their service, sacrifice, and dedication to keeping our communities safe.”
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