In Memory

Donald Gamblin

Donald Gamblin

 

 

Donald B. (Don) Gamblin

NOVEMBER 11, 1951 ~  JULY 13, 1991   

 

  

Don was a Shawnee, Kansas, motorcycle police officer when he was killed during a traffic stop on I-435.  Don was the first Shawnee police officer ever killed in the line of duty. 

......A description of the events that caused the incident that took Don's life was sent to Mike Jackson by Charlie Clark:

 

......Honoring and Remembering....July 13,1991.  

 

......It started off as a normal day for Shawnee Police Officer Donald (Don) B. Gamblin Jr. #865. He was working on his beloved motorcycle enforcing traffic laws in the City of Shawnee. At approximately 0930 am, Don was conducting speed enforcement on northbound I-435 when he made a traffic stop on a motorist in the 5300 block. At the same time a car was being driven northbound on I-435 by a individual under the influence of valium, cocaine and demerol.

.....That individual's vehicle left the roadway, was moving down the shoulder towards Don and the vehicle that he had stopped. It is believed that Don had just stepped off of his motorcycle and was approaching the car that he had pulled over. The car driven by the drugged driver slammed into the back of Don's motorcycle pushing it into Don and the vehicle that he had originally stopped. This not only injured all 5 people in the car but killed Don instantly.

......Donald B. Gamblin Jr. became the first Police Officer to die in the line of duty at the Shawnee Police Department. Following Don's Death, the funeral was held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kansas.  It is estimated that there were over 1,000 Police Officers, Firefighters, family members, and friends at the funeral service. Officers came from  the Kansas City Metro, Wichita, Leavenworth and Topeka Departments. Several fellow motorcycle officers were in attendence to honor their fellow "wheel man."  Close to 60 motorcycles led the procession, forming the "missing man" formation honoring Don.

.....Information regarding the person responsible for the incident:  The person driving the car that hit Don was convicted of killing him and sentenced to prison. He was later paroled and released in 2004. He was released despite the opposition of Don's wife, Ana, and his two sons, Steven Combs and Matt Gamblin.

 

....A special note to Charlie:  Thank you, Charlie, for this info, I did leave out the killer's name purposely........ -M. Jackson

 

 

If you knew Don and would like to place a kind memory here, please follow the instructions on this page (click on "post comment").

Mike Jackson, Jan Klein, and Mac McDaniel, Site Administrators

 

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.....Another part of the story surrounding Don's passing was his wife's on-duty receipt of the information of his passing.  She was a dispatcher in Lenexa when she heard the news over their Shawnee monitor.    She has since been honored by her exemplary service to the community of Lenexa, Kansas, in 2010.

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MARC News Release / Media Advisory
April 23, 2010

CONTACTS:

Keith Faddis, Public Safety Program Director, kfaddis@marc.org, 816/701-8211
Jody Ladd Craig, Public Affairs Director, jcraig@marc.org, 816/701-8241

Lenexa dispatcher honored at regional 9-1-1 event

The 2nd Annual Outstanding Performance Awards were presented at the appreciation event

The Kansas City Regional 9-1-1 System honored emergency communications personnel responsible for processing 9-1-1 calls during its Telecommunicators Appreciation Celebration last Friday, April 16. Ana Martens, a communications supervisor with the Lenexa Police Department, received the first ever Outstanding Supervisory Performer award during the 2nd Annual Outstanding Performance Awards, which were presented during Friday’s event.

The Outstanding Performance Awards selection committee reviewed and selected nominations from 9-1-1 dispatch center supervisors and managers throughout the region.

Martens started with the Lenexa Police Department in 1982 as a public service officer taking walk-in reports and assisting with the records division.  She soon transferred to the communications unit where she found her niche.

Knowing that dispatchers are usually the first person a citizen will have contact with when they call for help, Martens is committed to ensuring dispatchers perform at their highest ability and interact in a professional and courteous manner with the public.
           
The safety of officers on the street is a high priority in the communications center. For Martens, this is not just policy or theory, but a tragic reality. On July 13, 1991, Martens was dispatching in Lenexa when she heard radio traffic on Shawnee’s monitor involving her husband, Donald B. Gamblin, Jr., a Shawnee, Kan., police officer, who had just been killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop on I-435.  She refers to this tragedy when training new dispatchers to reinforce that a traffic stop is never just a traffic stop. 
           
Martens is bilingual and routinely handles emergency and non-emergency calls from Spanish speakers.
As a member of the Johnson County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Martens acts as peer support for emergency personnel dealing with traumatic events. This experience helps her mentor her coworkers and know how to approach them in a way that will make them feel comfortable.
           
In Marten’s nomination for the award, she was cited for having earned the respect of the Lenexa communications unit, the department and other agencies for her hard work and dedication.  She is described as not only a supervisor but also a mentor, dispatcher, and friend, and in 2011 she will add retiree to that list.

2010 Outstanding Performance Award Recipients:


Everyday Hero Award: Greg Damron, Leawood Police Department; Kent Redford, Leavenworth Police Department; and Betty Taylor, Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical Incident: Traci Mahlan, Grandview Police Department
Outstanding Team Performance in a Critical Incident: David Gibbs and Cindy Staton, Miami County Sheriff’s Office; and Kara Kantola and Teresa White, Clay County Sheriff’s Office
Outstanding Supervisory Performer: Ana Martens, Lenexa Police Department
Outstanding Past Performance: Paul Breece, deceased, formerly with Overland Park Police Department

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Mid-America Regional Council | 600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Mo. 64105
Ph: 816/474-4240 | Fax: 816/421-7758 | www.marc.org

 

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