Sheriff's deputy Lynn Bates honored for bravery
BY JOHN ZICK THE LEADER

Pictured at right, a plaque honoring Steuben County Deputy Lynn Bates hangs in the Public Safety Building.

BATH - Sgt. Lynn Bates believed he was just doing his job.

Everyone else knows it was much more than that.

On Feb. 3, 1996, the sheriff 's deputy risked his life to save another when he subdued a prisoner who had wrestled away a state trooper's gun.

When Bates arrived at the scene in the town of Bath, one shot had already been fired and the suspect and trooper were fighting over the weapon.

"He did something I wonder if I would have the courage to do," said Steuben County Undersheriff Dave Cole, who was then a zone commander for the state police.

His bravery earned Bates, a resident of Savona, the 1996 New York State Deputy of the Year award.

Last Friday, four years after Bates died of an illness, the Steuben County Sheriff's Office honored him with a plaque commemorating his deed.

"He would say it was just part of his job," said Carolyn Bates, his wife. "In the eyes of the family, he was always a hero."

Bates likely saved Trooper Amy Cole's life, Dave Cole said.

"(Bates) was a mentor to all of us," said Sr. Inv. Eric Tyner. "He is irreplaceable."

The bronze plaque hangs inside the Public Safety building.

"I wish there was a smirk on his face like there

always was," Chief Deputy Joel Ordway joked.