COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – It has been nearly 20 years since the death of an Idaho State Trooper that rocked the Inland Northwest.
Trooper Linda Huff was shot in the line of duty in Coeur d'Alene. The gunman who killed her was eventually arrested, and convicted of her murder.
On Friday, several troopers and members of the public gathered to remember her sacrifice.
"What's so meaningful about today is remembering what happened here, on this very spot, 20 years ago. And how a hero of Idaho gave so much for us," said Idaho State Police Director Colonel Kedrick Wills.
In June of 1998, Huff was killed in a shootout with a suspect behind ISP's Coeur d'Alene headquarters. She was shot 17 times but managed to shoot back and hit the suspect. The man was later given life in prison.
A memorial now marks where she died. On Friday, troopers and members of the public remembered her with roses.
"She was a true professional. And she was good at what she did. She loved to smile, she loved to laugh," said ISP Captain Verne Hancock.
Twenty years later North Idaho remains a community that has seen first-hand what it means to have an officer die in the line of duty. A community that comes together to remember.
