Trooper James E. Saunders was shot to death Oct. 7, 1999, while conducting a traffic stop in Pasco, Wash. Transferred to the Kennewick office of the State Patrol in 1996, Saunders was first assigned to Grand Coulee when he received his commission in 1991. He had a previous cadet assignment with Governor's Mansion security. Saunders is survived by his wife Billie, daughter Megan and parents Mr. and Mrs. John Saunders of Wenatchee. An Oct. 14 memorial service in Pasco was attended by nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers from throughout the Northwest and across the United States and Canada. A private memorial service was held in Leavenworth later that day. Saunders graduated from Cascade High School in Leavenworth in 1986, earned an associate of arts degree from Wenatchee Valley College and a bachelor of arts degree in political studies from Whitworth College, Spokane, in 1990. Two men, one an apparent illegal alien, have been arrested in connection with the shooting and are pending trial.

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