La Plata County Sheriff's Office, Colorado
End of Watch: Sunday, July 5, 1981
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: 509
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: July 4, 1981
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Frank McAteer suffered a fatal heart attack following a long struggle with a suspect.
He and another local officer attempted to arrest the man for disorderly conduct. During the arrest, the man began to struggle, and it took five to ten minutes to subdue him. On the way to the jail, Sergeant McAteer began complaining of chest and leg pains but attributed it to the long struggle.
While booking the prisoner in the jail, Sergeant McAteer suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed. He died the next day.
Sergeant McAteer had served with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office for 4 years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.