Lieutenant Owen Arthur Landdeck, 40, of the Farmington Police Department died on August 17, 1979, during a police academy training exercise. He was role-playing a deranged husband in a simulated domestic violence scenario that required him to draw a firearm. A cadet responding with simulated gunfire used a weapon that was unknowingly loaded with live ammunition; Landdeck was struck and fatally wounded. The shooting was ruled accidental and no charges were filed against the cadet.

Landdeck had 20 years in law enforcement, including ten years with Farmington, and was survived by his wife, daughter, and son. The Safety City training facility in Kirtland was later renamed the Lieutenant Owen Landdeck Training Center in his honor. His death had a profound effect on the law enforcement community and residents of Farmington and is cited as influencing tighter safety measures during training.

If anyone knew Lieutenant Landdeck or has information about that training program then, please share what is remembered.