See funeral procession for correctional officer wounded in Fresno jail shooting in 2016

A procession was held Wednesday to honor Toamalama Scanlan, the Fresno County Sheriff’s officer who was shot while on duty at the county jail five year ago.

The 46-year-old had been hospitalized since the September 2016 shooting, which injured a second officer, Juanita Davila.

Scanlan died on Tuesday at a hospital in Southern California.

The officer was escorted out of Los Angeles County on Wednesday morning and arrived in Fresno County around 1 p.m., according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The procession traveled in front of the Fresno County Jail and Fresno Sheriff’s Office headquarters before heading to the Chapel of the Light on Belmont Avenue.

The sheriff’s office encouraged the public “to take a moment to honor Malama as he passes through downtown.”

Scanlan began his career with Fresno County Probation in 1998 before joining the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in 2006. He’d been promoted to Correctional Officer IV in August 2012 and was assigned to Population Management at the time of the shooting.

He played football for Fresno State, including in 1996 during coach Jim Sweeney’s final season. Scanlan later served as a volunteer football assistant at Fresno Christian High.

Scanlan leaves behind his wife, Tepatasi, and six children.

Scanlan’s shooter, Thong Vang, was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 112 years to life in prison in 2018. Vang testified that he was high on methamphetamine, paranoid and looking for help when he went into the jail lobby.

This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 11:06 AM.