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Debbie Dujanovic ReportingTraffic in a part of Utah County came to a standstill today. The public watched in silence and veteran officers cried as a former narcotics detective was laid to rest.
Trent Halladay died of liver cancer, he was 37. Debbie Dujanovic's been following his story as part of our ongoing investigation into officers exposed to dangerous chemicals inside meth labs. Like the dozens of officers we've been tracking, Trent Halladay went into more than 100 meth labs in his career.
When we first documented his health last summer, by all accounts he was healthy. Suddenly, the cancer developed, and now, at 37, he's dead.
"The last few weeks of Trent's life were very painful. He'd suffered three strokes that put him in bed, he just couldn't get up. And basically, his feet just died."
He'd survived the raids, the bullets, the car chases -- his killer was cancer. It was a slow, painful death at 37 for an officer who spent six years taking down 150-meth labs in Utah.
This was Trent Halladay during our recent.
Trent Halladay: "Nothing I can do, just fight like heck."
Trent and his fellow officers believe his exposure to chemicals in meth labs triggered the cancer.
Lt. Richard Ferguson, Provo Police Department: "We didn't understand the dangers, but we went in because he'd taken an oath to do it. And he did it. And now he's sitting over there."
Shaun Bufton: "He gave his life for his community, he was killed in the line of duty, it was just a slow death."
The medical bills mounted into the thousands. His wife and two boys face an uncertain financial future. Trent filed a claim for workers compensation benefits, hoping it would help cover his medical expenses. He died waiting for word.
Skip Curtis, Utah County Sheriff's Office: "Now what's his family going to do, what are the rest of us going to do? I don't know, I don't know what the answer is anymore."
Halladay is one of more than 50 Utah officers who've filed claims for medical compensation. Those claims are on hold for at least two-years while the State pays for a medical study, to see if there is a connection between the chemical exposures and the officers' diseases.
