Man Found Shot Dead At Park Was Long-Retired Lodi Firefighter
LODI (CBS13) – Former Lodi firefighter Gary Duck's body was found at Roget Park Saturday morning. Neighbors say it's a quiet park – and most of the visitors are elderly.
"He's kind of a mentor. A quiet, unassuming man," said Jeff Larson. "Very well respected, very well liked."
Long before Larson was a battalion chief at the Lodi Fire Department, he had to answer to Duck.
"He dedicated 30 years of his life to this department and to this community. For that, we will be forever grateful," Larson said.
Duck was Larson's captain and battalion chief for 15 years; he worked out of a Lodi Fire station for 30. But on Saturday morning, the 70-year-old was found dead at a Lodi park.
Police say it appears Duck died from a single gunshot.
Duck's wife last saw him Friday night, police say. She woke up hours later and he was gone. After searching for him, she called police to report her husband was missing.
"You don't think things like this can happen where you live," said neighbor Tara Kosel.
Hours later on Saturday morning, someone discovered Duck's body at Roget Park. Larson says the fire department got the call to respond to the scene.
"We deal with a lot of travesty in our job, we do it day in and day out," Larson said. "It hits you hard."
And what hits him the hardest is knowing the community lost a man who saved so many lives – Larson's included.
Larson recounts the fire call from years ago:
"We were able to locate the fire and finally put some water on it, and he called us out of the fire and I came out and I was mad at him and he just kind of smiled at me. Within about 30 seconds the roof collapsed … [He] saved the life of my crew, saved my life."
