Former sergeant of Butler Township Police Department, James Shearer, 75, died Wednesday, July 3, a decade after his retirement.

Shearer was the first to respond to an armed robbery at Drive-Thru Beverages on Route 8 in 2007, his wife, Rebecca Jo (Steighner) Shearer, said, saving the life of the owner.

Shearer deployed with the U.S. Army to Germany during the Vietnam War. Shearer said her husband had often spoken of visiting Germany after his deployment.

Following his military service, he worked on the police force 42 years, beginning in 1972.

As a police officer, Shearer mentored youths and “helped kids turn their lives around,” several of whom thanked him as adults, according to his wife.

Following his retirement from the police force, he worked for Cochran Subaru. Shearer was a member of the National Rifle Association, Police Marksman Association, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 107 in Butler and American Legion Post 778 in Lyndora, according to his obituary. He also belonged to the Butler County Sports Officials, the Baseball Umpires Association and served as an official on the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Shearer graduated from Butler Senior High School in 1966. In April, he and his wife celebrated 53 years of marriage.