ELY, Nevada -- A Nevada Highway Patrol sergeant was shot and killed after he stopped to assist a motorist Friday morning.
Sgt. Ben Jenkins approached the driver's vehicle S-93 in the White Pine county area when the driver open fire, fatally wounding the him, according to a news release.
The motorist then stole Jenkin's uniform and fled the scene in his patrol vehicle. Following a search that lasted several hours, the suspect was located and taken into custody with the assistance of multiple agencies.
The 47-year-old member of the Nevada Highway Patrol 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," officials said in a statement.
A memorial service is pending and that information will be forthcoming at a later date.
This message was sent out by the Nevada Highway Patrol:
This morning, we lost our friend, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a veteran, a volunteer firefighter, and a selfless servant to Nevadans. We have received many messages asking where to donate. To help the Jenkins family directly, two bank accounts have been established.
Injured Police Officers Fund has created accounts at Wells Fargo Bank (#5906636682) and Nevada State Bank (#5795937738) where the family will receive 100% of the donations. Donations can also be made online via here: https://ipof.vegas/donate.
These are two approved official bank accounts established for the family by the Injured Police Officers Fund. Please be aware of fraudulent police charities and crowd-sourcing campaigns that could be scams. We are beyond grateful for the outpouring of support on this dark day. Thank you.
