Family mourns fallen deputy
Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 30 2009 05:40 AM
By Victor O'Brien
Killeen Daily HeraldA 44-year-old Washington state sheriff's deputy born in Killeen died Monday in Seattle, a week after he was shot responding to a domestic disturbance.
Pierce County sheriff's deputy Kent Mundell Jr., 44, was taken off life support and died at 5:04 p.m. PST Monday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Mundell's family in Killeen mourned his death Tuesday. Family members remembered him as a thoughtful family man who relished life's thrills.
Mundell lived in Killeen for only a few years after his birth, his family said. He returned many summers as an adult to be with his father, who lives in Belton, and his family, which carries a history in Killeen dating back to the late 1800s.
Mundell always sought new adventures, his father, Walter Mundell Sr., said by phone Tuesday. He adored flying planes, skydiving and engaging in watersports at Belton Lake and across the United States.
"His motto was: 'If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.' That's how he lived his life," his stepbrother Mark Stafford told The Associated Press last week.
Mundell carried his passion for life to a career in law enforcement in 1998 after working at a window manufacturing company.
"He was a real intent young man. When he set out to do something, he always met his goal," his cousin, Bell County District Judge Gordon Adams said Tuesday.
Mundell leaves behind his wife, Lisa, a 16-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
"He was happy with his daughter, son and wife. Everything was really going well for him. This was a really sad and tragic ending to Kent's life," Adams said.
A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 5 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash.
Mundell was one of two deputies shot while responding to a domestic-violence call on Dec. 21 near Eatonville, Wash.
Mundell was shot multiple times after he and his partner, Sgt. Nick Hausner, 43, responded to a call to remove an "unwanted guest" from a house.
When the deputies arrived, Jason Crable invited them in to remove his drunk brother David Crable from the home. David Crable seemed cooperative, agreed to leave the home with the deputies, according to sheriff's officials.
Before deputies left, David Crable pulled a gun he'd concealed under his arm and started shooting.
Mundell returned fire and killed David Crable, but not before the deputy himself was critically injured, the sheriff's officials said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Contact Victor O'Brien at
vobrien@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7468.