Marty D. Hayes

Marty D. Hayes, 70

Marty Dean Hayes, 70, died of natural causes on October 5, 2025, in Harrison, Idaho.



Marty was born May 13, 1955, in Watertown, South Dakota, the second son of Arnold Lentz and long-time Harrison, ID resident Arlene Cederblom. The family moved to Spokane, WA in the late 1950s and later, Arlene moved her family to Harrison, ID. Marty graduated from Kootenai High School in 1973 and went on to earn degrees from North Idaho College and Eastern Washington University. He earned his degree from EWU while working as a police officer in Medical Lake, WA. He served in a number of police departments during his law enforcement career, working as a patrolman, school resource officer and Marshal. Participation in the Hanford Nuclear Reservation's pistol team while he was an officer there led to lifetime participation in competitive shooting and later he was often assigned to provide firearms instruction for police departments.



In 1987 he founded The Firearms Academy of Seattle to focus on gun safety and self-defense training primarily for the private citizen, although law enforcement officers were frequent participants in his classes and Marty continued his law enforcement career while running the school. In 1994, he moved the Academy to rural Lewis County, WA where he operated it for several decades before selling it to a student.



In 2007, he earned his Juris Doctor degree, initially to aid his work providing expert witness services in court cases involving use of force. Shortly before graduation from law school, his profound concern over wrongful convictions after force is used in self-defense led him to establish the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network. He served as the Network's president until it was acquired by a similar organization just months before his death.



Marty left behind a host of close friends, mentors and students in the self-defense training community, and is survived by his mother Arlene Cederblom, brothers Tony Hayes, Randy Hayes, and Lonnie Hayes, his wife Gila Hayes, his cousins Rachael Youngblood and Vickie VanNuis, and his German Shepherd. His father preceded him in death. The family plans a private memorial service at a later time and requests no flowers, suggesting instead contributions to Masonic Legacy Scholarships.