Every year, the Los Angeles County Peace Officer Memorial Torch Run -- a race of sheriff's deputies and other officers, carrying a torch to remember their fallen comrades -- ends at Altadena Station.
This year's run, scheduled for Sun. May 22, is a special one. For the Altadena Station, this run and the celebration that will begin with the arrival of the runners will pay tribute to one of the sheriff's department's first female patrol deputies, Charlene "Charlie" Rottler. One of the first female deputies to graduate from the academy in 1969, she was also among the first female patrol deputies assigned to Altadena Station.
Rotter's career was abruptly cut short. She arrived at Altadena Station as a trainee on Sept. 1, 1972. Just over two months later, Nov. 5, 1972, her squad car struck a car driven by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. Only the drunk driver escaped uninjured -- one of his passengers was killed, two others injured, and Rotter's training officer and a newspaper reporter riding along with them were injured. Rotter's injuries were catastrophic -- she was initially left for dead on the street -- the only major organ not damaged was her heart. A biographical sketch of Rotter credits her "tenacity, strength of will and the grace of God" for her hard-earned survival.
Rotter survived, but endured 55 operations over the years. When she died on Jan. 3, 2010, it was directly related to the injuries she suffered almost 40 years before. She had only one foot of small intestine left.
The celebration that follows the arrival of the runners, at about 2 PM, will be a tribute to Deputy Rotter.
Because she is considered to have died from injuries sustained while on duty, a second tribute will take place Wed., May 25 at 10 am at the Sheriff's STAR Center when Deputy Rottler's name will be added to the Los Angeles County Peace Officer Memorial Wall. STAR Center is located at 11515 Colima Road, Whittier.
