MENIFEE: Sheriffs officials escort football player at recent Senior Night in honor of late father

MENIFEE — During Heritage High School’s recent annual Senior Night, Parker Benner – whose father, Riverside County Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Dispatcher Todd Benner, recently passed away – was surprised and grateful when members of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department escorted him in honor of his late father.

During the school’s annual Senior Night on Friday, October 27, senior football players, band members and cheerleaders are escorted onto the field by their parents before the football game.

Among those seniors being honored was Parker Benner. Parker’s father Todd passed away in May.

Although Parker’s mother Gina was at the game to walk with him during the Senior Night ceremony, Parker’s surrogate Sheriff’s family was also on hand to help him celebrate the milestone achievement.

Deputies Otis Grant, Chris Grimm, Melinda Gardner and Jason Reed, along with Dispatchers Charles Probst and Stacy Green came together to support Parker by escorting him and his mother on the football field.

Parker later expressed gratitude at the show of support and explained how seeing uniformed deputies reminded him of his late father.

Parker was recently extended an offer to attend Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he hopes to continue his football career.

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.