Services Pending for Dave Ellis, Retired APD 'Officer of the Year'

Services are pending for Dave Ellis, a recently retired Alameda Police Department motorcycle officer who was the department's "Officer of the Year" in 2009.

Ellis, 52, died unexpectedly at home on the evening of May 7, of an apparent heart attack. He had retired in December 2011 after a 30-year career in law enforcement, spending 15 years with the Oakland Police Department before joining the APD.

"Dave was one of the most most respected and well-liked officers, not just in our department but by the public," said APD Capt. Paul Rolleri Wednesday afternoon. "That's quite an accomplishment, given the number of tickets he wrote in his career."

Ellis spent most of his 15 years with the Alameda police as a traffic officer. Astride his police motorcycle, he helped lead the city's annual Fourth of July Parade each year. In 2010, he won first place in a statewide motorcycle competition sponsored by the Oakland Police Department.

He is survived by his wife Carol, two children and grandchildren.