The loss of this innocent life makes me sad and the details of how it happened as described below are so upsetting. To think that there are criminals out there doing things like this is beyond comprehension. Thank God the suspect is in custody. Rest in heavenly peace Sgt. Jenkins.
We are devastated to report that Sergeant Ben Jenkins #4196 was killed in the line of duty this morning. Sgt. Jenkins had stopped to assist a motorist on US-93 ...in the White Pine county area. During this contact, the motorist open fired on Sgt. Ben Jenkins, who was struck and killed. The motorist stole the Sergeant's uniform and fled the scene in Sgt. Jenkins' patrol vehicle. Following a search that lasted several hours, the suspect was located and taken into custody with the assistance of multiple agencies.
47-year-old Sgt. Jenkins was an Elko native who devoted his life to public service and to serving Nevadans. He began working for the Highway Patrol in March 2008 as a Trooper in Jackpot and was promoted to Sergeant in Elko in 2017. Prior to NHP, he was a training officer for the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division, a crew supervisor for the Nevada Division of Forestry, an Assistant Fire Chief for the Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department, and a veteran of both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. In 2011, Jenkins received the Nevada Department of Public Safety's highest honor, the Gold Medal of Valor, which is presented to officers who perform an extraordinary act of heroism.
He is survived by his wife, his mother, four children, and five grandchildren. This is a time of tremendous grief for our agency, his family, and our communities. A memorial service is pending and that information will be forthcoming at a later date. #4196, rest easy. We've got the watch from here.
Official Source of Information In This Posting: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Dispatch and Nevada Highway Patrol.
