The family of the senior Kern County sheriff’s deputy who committed suicide this week is asking for the community’s help to fund his funeral — citing their heartbreak as they say the department’s refusal to pay his to honor your own deputy.
“Our thoughts cannot begin to process how the sheriff will not recognize the severity of Ben’s impact on the Kern County Sheriff’s organization, and their refusal to honor Ben with the services he is owed is heartbreaking,” the statement on the GoFundMe read. page that was set up on Friday. by Whitney Winter, sister of senior deputy Ben Harmonson.
Benjamin Alan Michael Harmonson, 36, was found dead Tuesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside a vehicle in a dirt lot north of 7th Standard Road in Shafter, west of Verdugo Lane, according to the Kern County coroner’s office. Dozens of law enforcement vehicles led a procession to transport the body in an unmarked white minivan to the coroner’s office.
The GoFundMe page originally stated that KCSO would not help pay for Harmonson’s funeral costs; that statement was later deleted. In the first three hours of launching the page, community members donated more than $12,700, exceeding the $8,000 goal.
The statement on the GoFundMe page said Harmonson struggled with a “silent battle with mental health,” and that his death has overshadowed his career at KCSO, which began in 2008.
“16 years of choosing to risk his life, 16 years of dedication to keeping our community safe, 16 years of putting others before himself, and 16 years of making sacrifices for his profession,” the statement said.
In a message to The Californian, Winter said the community’s support and love for the family during their time of grieving has been incredible.
“He was a wonderful man who will live on in our hearts forever,” Winter said on behalf of her family.
The Californian has repeatedly asked KCSO for a statement regarding Harmonson’s career at KCSO. KCSO spokeswoman Lori Meza told The Californian on Thursday that the department is unwilling to speak on the issue, adding that it is “not something we have ever dealt with before.”
KSCO statements and state records show Harmonson began his career at KCSO as an intern on July 19, 2008, and became a full deputy on January 17, 2009.
Agency records show that he served as a bomb technician in the KSCO bomb squad. In 2013 he was named Rosamond’s deputy of the year.
Records show he was promoted to senior deputy sheriff assigned to the Tehachapi substation on Nov. 5, 2022. He was again promoted to supervisor within the department on March 8, 2023.
Bakersfield police have taken over the investigation into Harmonson’s death. BPD Public Information Officer Eric Celedon told The Californian Wednesday that KCSO is upset about losing one of its own and will work hard to honor his memory.
The community can donate on the GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-lost-hero-ben-harmonson.
