Sammamish Police and the students and staff at both Eastlake High School and Inglewood Junior HIgh are mourning the loss of Stan Chapin, the school resource officer for both schools. The Sammamish Police Department announced that Chapin, 61, died in his sleep last night. Chapin had been the resource officer at Eastlake and Inglewood Junior High for the last 12 years and had been with the King County Sheriff’s Office for more than 40 years. Just last month, the city named Chapin the Sammamish Police Department’s “Officer of the Year” for 2011. Read More >>
Eastlake Principal Brad Malloy noted, “Officer Chapin was the kind of person who could talk to anyone, students and parents alike. Students, in turn, felt very comfortable confiding in him. Even when it was time to hold a student accountable for law enforcement purposes, he was able to maintain a positive relationship so he could help them turn their lives around. He cared deeply about our students.”
Inglewood Principal Tim Patterson spoke about how Officer Chapin developed relationships with students. “Stan understood how powerful relationships were. He ALWAYS put students first. Stan played Ping Pong and Air Hockey with kids. He did the “Velociraptor” for students upon request, his imitation of the dinosaur made famous in the movie Jurassic Park. He helped students clean up their tables, led by example and held kids accountable. He did all of this and more with a smile. Stan did this because he knew that one of the children in our school would need him someday. On the rare day in Sammamish when a student truly needed a police officer to keep them safe, they already knew Officer Chapin. Students trusted him because they knew they could. He became more than a police officer. For many of our students he became a mentor and exemplar. He helped us help kids.”
More information about services for Officer Chapin will be provided as details are made available to the public.
- LWSD Administration
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