By Ashley Quadros, Public Information Officer
Root canals, fillings, and crowns—it’s what Damian Norden originally thought his career would be. But while in college, he began thinking something more stimulating than dentistry might be a better mold for him. He set his sights on becoming a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer and began looking into the necessary steps; however, having grown up around several friends and family members who worked in law enforcement, they encouraged him to pursue a sheriff’s office over CHP, telling him it would be more advantageous and exciting.
Heeding their advice, for the last seven years Deputy Norden has worked for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, serving Eastern Nevada County, while fittingly working in close partnership with Truckee CHP as well as Truckee Police Department to keep Truckee-area residents safe. Known as a recreation haven for outdoor enthusiasts, many of the calls Deputy Norden responds to in the Truckee vicinity are recreation related. As such, he often finds himself immersed with volunteers of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (NCSSAR) on rescue calls, such as lost hikers and folks lost or stuck in snow. Of 34 search and rescue cases this year to date in Nevada County, Deputy Norden has led 11 rescue missions in partnership with NCSSAR volunteers.
“When people call in, they’re naturally frightened, but it’s a common occurrence for our team, who are highly skilled and ready to immediately help,” he said. “I help coordinate resources and supplies for our searchers.”
In addition to aiding rescue missions, Deputy Norden is a member of the Sheriff’s Dive Team, which helps in the recovery of deceased, injured, stranded, or lost individuals in local waterways and lakes. He also conducts boat patrol and camp patrol every summer, targeting highly popular areas, such as Boca Reservoir, Prosser Reservoir, and Donner Lake.
“At Boca, I educate people on the laws of the lake, such as going counterclockwise, no wakes in the coves, cite for reckless operation, and arrest for BUI,” he said. “On camp patrol, I’ll issue citations for minors in possession, break up parties when needed, and put a stop to illegal fire activity.”
Deputy Norden also assists with civil needs, assaults, coroner cases, and is a member of the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail, a team specialized in tactics and weapons, specifically geared toward high-risk search warrants, arrests, barricaded suspects, and hostage incidents. Additionally, while Truckee CHP is the lead agency for DUIs, those cases come his way too.
“There was one time where a guy was drinking and driving and he hit the roundabout, jumped his truck, and popped three tires,” he recalled. “This led to a short vehicle pursuit. The suspect then foot bailed from the truck, and I just ran up behind him and chased him down. I have never lost a foot pursuit in seven years. Eventually, I had to tackle him to the ground because he was not listening to verbal commands. He was arrested for failure to yield, resisting arrest, and DUI.”
Following this event, the man in question sought Deputy Norden out and personally apologized for his actions and endangering the public. While not every day involves a rescue or wild foot chase, working in Eastern Nevada County presents ongoing adventure for Deputy Norden, so much so, that he was presented a playful award called “Running with the Bulls” for being the biggest risktaker, which was accompanied by an amusing Paw Patrol themed-party on his one-year anniversary as a deputy.
These last seven years, Deputy Norden has proven to be dependable, up for any challenge, and always willing to work as many hours as needed to find a missing person or provide support on a case. His contributions earned him the title Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year in 2022, a prestigious honor given to only one deputy per year.
When his badge does come off, Deputy Norden can be found enjoying outdoor recreation activities, such as hiking, fishing, and camping in the very community he loves to serve.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Deputy Norden for years of service, tenacity, and dedication to keeping Nevada County residents safe.
