Page 11 - Desert Oracle December 2020

Sean Stoddard

Never uncommon to Sean, taking action is something of a second nature. A born leader, he would lead
the kids he was playing with in any group he would find himself in. Many would claim him as their best
friend and as he grew older, it was clear to see why he had so many friends who truly valued and
recognized him as genuine, out-going, inventive and kind-hearted. He is known to, in truth, give the shirt
off his back. If finding a friend in need, he tends to find a way to support them, often giving of his own
finances and possessions such as providing a car, or paying their bills, or financing their children’s
sporting events or field trips, and even a few times paying their way to Disneyland or other fun but
costly places because they simply had never been and had always wanted to go. He lives of the mindset
that he can always make more money and therefore can focus more on the person than the cost of their
needs.
At a young age and still today, he is known for his confidence and being charismatic, with charm, humor
and a sense of adventure that is contagious. Sometimes his confidence presented challenges, like when
he chanced a black diamond ski slope at a young age while on vacation with family up north.
Hypothermia and many other adventures of being lost in the great outdoors aside, Sean lived; and his
confidence mingled with inquisitiveness lead him to many great adventures and even to saving lives.
One day, at the age of 11, Sean found himself in a Smitty’s parking lot in Mesa, around the corner from
his house, waiting on his bike for his friend. While waiting, he saw a curious item sticking out of the back
of a car trunk. As he and his friend approached, a voice came from the trunk urging him to get help.
Sean rushed inside Smitty’s to inform a nearby clerk. With help from a manager, Sean’s actions lead to a
rescue operation to save a battered woman from the trunk she was abandoned in after being pistol-
whipped, kidnapped and robbed. Though hailed as a hero by the local and national news media and
police department, Sean’s actions lead to more than the rescue of the one lady; it took a criminal off the
streets who was not only guilty of previous offenses, but whose intent was to strike again. This memory
only brought more focus to Sean’s desire to help others and was a catalyst for Sean’s desire to become a
police officer later in life.

Over the past 14 years, Sean has served throughout the Mesa Police Department including in Patrol,
Hiring, and the SRO program. His decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, like many of his life-
changing decisions, was decided based on the needs of those he would serve. Sean has been critical in
the investigation and arrests of multiple serious offenders such as murderers, child abusers, and more.
He’s given of his time in numerous community outreach programs including multiple years with Youth
Leadership Academy, Police Appreciation Days, Shop with a Cop, and other holiday giving programs.
He also serves in the US Army Reserves as the 1SG for a Civil Affairs company. His 17 years serving in the
Reserves include two Military Occupational Specialties, 31B Military Police and 38B Civil Affairs, and four
deployments including three as a MP Soldier/NCO to Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Sean has been
awarded 30+ military honors including the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star and one of the Military
Police Corps Regiment’s highest honors, the Order of the Marechaussee. He is often found volunteering
within the veteran, military, and first responder community through the non-profit he founded, The
Archangels. The logo of the Archangels began from the patch Sean and his fellow Soldiers wore when
deployed in Iraq in the year 2007. Being an Archangel was a symbol of strength, motivation and hope,
though combined with war stories of victory, grief and pain soldiers are known to never speak of again.
Unfortunate is the compounded grief which followed that deployment as some of the original
Archangels lost their lives. Additionally, returning to his civilian job as a police officer, Sean recognized a