With helicopters flying overhead, more than a thousand Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies, headed by Sheriff Lou Blanas, marched along Coloma Road to the church in Rancho Cordova, to pay their last respects to the two officers.  Joseph Kievernagel  and Kevin Blount died last week when their helicopter crashed near Lake Natoma. 

Kathleen Utley is a Sacramento County Park Ranger.  She attended the funeral in uniform and recounted a time when the two helped her nab a suspect. 

 “Several years ago they helped me with a case when a subject fled across the river and into a heavily wooded area and tracked him down for me. And I stopped by a week or two later and dropped off a 12-pack of beer and thanks for catching them for me. There’s no way I could have crossed the river… great guys.”
 
Prayers at the Roman Catholic mass were also said for Eric Henrikson who was injured in the crash.