The Jefferson County sheriff’s office in a news release marked the 38th anniversary of the death of one of its criminal investigators and two other lawmen in a helicopter crash in Mount Ida.
On July 24, 1986, sheriff’s investigator Kevin L. Brosch participated in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Marijuana Eradication Spotter School along with state trooper Charles Bassing and Pulaski County sheriff’s criminal investigator James Avant. The helicopter the three men rode in experienced mechanical failure and crashed shortly after takeoff, according to the JCSO.
Brosch was 34 and had served Jefferson County for six years. He left behind a wife, two children and his parents.
“His commitment to justice and public safety continues to resonate within our department and community,” according to the release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Drug Enforcement Administration invited Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. last year to Quantico, Va., for a guidon ceremony honoring Brosch as part of the DEA BA 242 graduating class. It was there Woods met Brosch’s son Justin and that Brosch was inducted into the DEA Wall of Honor.
“It was a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy Kevin left behind and the impact of his service,” Woods said. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Brosch family for sharing his life with us and for their continued strength and support.”
Brosch’s legacy lives on in the work the Jefferson County sheriff’s office does daily, according to the release.
“His memory serves as a guiding light for all of us in law enforcement as we continue to uphold the values he embodied so well. We honor his sacrifice and reaffirm our commitment to the safety and security of our community,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Justin Brosch (left) and his sister Elizabeth Brosch are pictured with Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. in Quantico, Va., in 2023. (Special to The Commercial/Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
A DEA Wall of Honor inscription honoring Jefferson County sheriff’s criminal investigator Kevin L. Brosch, who died along with two other lawmen in a 1986 helicopter wreck during a marijuana eradication spotter school. (Special to The Commercial/Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)