Funeral for slain Riverside County sheriff's deputy to be held on Saturday

Funeral services for Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Darnell Calhoun, 30, who was killed in the line of duty, will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Abundant Living Family Church at 10900 Civic Center Drive in Rancho Cucamonga.

At approximately 8 a.m., a procession will begin from Murrieta Valley Funeral Home at 24651 Washington Avenue in Murrieta, ending at the church. Members of the public are welcome to line the streets in support, Sgt. Deirdre Vickers said in a news release. The services also will be live streamed on the Riverside County Sheriff’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

There will also be a public viewing from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at the funeral home.

Calhoun was fatally shot after responding to a residence near Lake Elsinore where a dispute was reported last Friday afternoon. He leaves behind a wife, who is reportedly pregnant, and two children.

"Since the tragic loss of Darnell, our family has received an outpouring of love and support from our community for which we are immensely grateful," Calhoun's survivors said in a statement earlier this week through the sheriff's department.

The department is still investigating the moments immediately before Calhoun was shot. He was dispatched to the 18500 block of Hilldale Lane, around 4:20 p.m., after a report of a child custody dispute involving possible domestic violence, according to the sheriff's department.

“Deputy Calhoun was the first to arrive,” said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco after the shooting. “At this point, we are not completely sure of the circumstances surrounding the initial contact. The second deputy arriving found our deputy wounded in the street, and a gunfight between the suspect and that deputy ensued.”

The suspect, identified as Jesse Navarro, 42, of Lake Elsinore, was shot by the second deputy and was in critical condition at a local hospital as of Saturday.

Calhoun, assigned to the Lake Elsinore Station, began serving as a Riverside County Deputy Sheriff on Feb. 24, 2022. He spent two years working for the San Diego Police Department before being hired by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. He is the second Riverside County deputy killed in the line of duty in less than a month. Deputy Isaiah Cordero, 32, was fatally shot on Dec. 29 during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley.

The procession route from the mortuary to the church on Saturday is as follows: Northbound on Washington Avenue from the mortuary parking lot, turn right, head eastbound on Kalmia Street and merge onto Interstate 15 north. Continue on I-15 north to 4th Street, Rancho Cucamonga. Exit 4th Street and travel westbound to Milliken Avenue. Turn right on Milliken Avenue and proceed northbound to Arrow Route. Turn left onto Arrow Route and continue west to White Oak Avenue. Turn left on Elm Avenue into the Abundant Living Family Church.

Janet Wilson is a staff writer at The Desert Sun. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Funeral for slain Riverside County sheriff's deputy will be Saturday