Why this former Fresno County sheriff was 'loved and respected'

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Former Fresno County Sheriff Steve Magarian was laid to remainder connected Monday, surrounded by friends, household and radical helium worked alongside for years.

"Sheriff Magarian was a large man, helium had impeccable quality and helium cared astir people, helium cared astir the sheriff's office, helium took attraction of his family," said Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni. "And it was ne'er astir him; it was ever astir others."

Steve Magarian passed distant connected Sept. 22 pursuing a conflict with cancer, and had served arsenic the Fresno County Sheriff from 1986 to 1999, 13 years. During his clip arsenic sheriff, helium initiated a captious assets the sheriff's bureau uses to this day: the chopper program.

Commonly known arsenic the aerial enactment unit, Zanoni says successful 1996 Magarian purchased 2 helicopters retired of Mesa, Arizona, which would soon patrol the skies of Fresno County successful 1997.

"At the time, erstwhile you looked astir this area, nary 1 had instrumentality similar that— the California Highway Patrol did, but different counties and section agencies did not," Zanoni said. "[It] genuinely was a visionary thought astatine the time."

Zanoni credits that portion Magarian has championed innovations similar the automated tract study penning strategy and the instauration of MAGEC, his bequest was much than conscionable innovation; it was his transportation to the assemblage helium served.

"He remembered your name, helium talked to people, helium smiled, helium knew who you were and helium showed that helium cared astir you..." helium said. "The radical are what's important and that's 1 happening I'll ever retrieve from Sheriff Magarian."

Zanoni says the turnout to Magarian's ceremonial work is simply a testament to that.

"When you spot everybody retired present today, this galore people, astatine this solemnisation of life, it truly shows however overmuch radical loved and respected the man, Steve Magarian, the 23rd sheriff of Fresno County— it truly brings it each home."