It’s one of the most emotional moments for a person when they have to hang up their boots after putting in decades of service to the country.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement on Facebook in December regarding the retirement of Chief Deputy Dave Pearsall of Olympia, Washington. “Chief Dave Pearsall will retire from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office at the end of the year,” the document read.
“Pearsall began his career with the Sheriff’s Office volunteering as an Explorer Scout in 1982 at the age of 18. He went on to become a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. Pearsall then worked 1 year for the City of Yelm as a Police Officer prior to being hired as a Deputy Sheriff in March of 1986.”
Posted by Thurston County-Sheriff on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Following in his dad’s footsteps
Pearsall’s dad was also a deputy sheriff in both Mason and Grays Harbor counties and he followed in his father’s footsteps and ended up giving 36 years of his life to the country. “Chief Pearsall worked his way through the ranks performing a multitude of assignments along the way,” the statement continued.
“During his career, Pearsall has worked for four Sheriffs. He has worked the last 14 years as a Chief Deputy appointed first by Sheriff Kimball and again by Sheriff Snaza. Chief Pearsall is a 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy. It has been an awesome career,” Pearsall said. “I truly feel blessed to have had the privilege to serve the citizens of Thurston County for so many years.”
Final Call
“In keeping with a longtime law enforcement tradition, Chief Pearsall will ‘sign-out’ making his final radio transmission to dispatch from his patrol car at 3:00 PM on December 31st when he tells TCOMM that he is at the ‘End of Watch’ officially signifying his retirement,” the statement continued.
When time came to make his final call, Pearsall sat in his vehicle, his grandson next to him and another on his lap as he radioed in. “I’ll be out of service. End of watch. It’s been a great ride.”
On 12/31/20, Chief Dave Pearsall called out of service for the last time. Thank you for serving this community for over 36 years.
Posted by Thurston County-Sheriff on Tuesday, January 5, 2021
“On 12/31/20, Chief Dave Pearsall called out of service for the last time,” the Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook, along with the video. “Thank you for serving this community for over 36 years.”
Staying connected
Happy retirement Chief Pearsall! So proud of you.
Posted by Deana Pearsall on Thursday, December 31, 2020
Even though he may be out of service, Pearsall will be participating in a variety of groups, like the Griffin Fire Department, the Chaplains Association for Public Safety in Thurston County, the Oregon Washington Lawmen’s Association and the FBI National Academy Association.
“Happy retirement Chief Pearsall!” his wife, Deana Pearsall, posted on her Facebook page. “So proud of you.” Chief Persall will be spending more time traveling and time with the family now.