Deputy Sheriff Richard Anthony Herzog
King County Sheriff's Office
Washington
End of Watch: Saturday, June 22, 2002

Biographical Info
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Saturday, June 22, 2002
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to Life without Parole

Deputy Richard Herzog was shot and killed with his own service weapon, after responding to a call at 1700 hours involving a naked man creating a disturbance in the roadway on Coal Creek Parkway.

When Deputy Herzog, who was wearing a vest, arrived on scene, he attempted to subdue the man with pepper spray. The spray had no affect on the man, who then attacked Deputy Herzog. Deputy Herzog's service weapon, a .40 caliber Glock, was knocked to the ground and the magazine came out of it.

The suspect picked up the weapon and replaced the magazine. As Deputy Herzog attempted to retreat, the suspect shot him once, knocking him to the ground. The suspect then stood over him and shot him ten more times before fleeing to a nearby apartment. The man was apprehended approximately 45 minutes later. The suspect had been released from jail only 11 days earlier after serving several months for assaulting a police officer.

The suspect was convicted of aggravated first-degree murder on August 19th, 2004. On September 23rd, 2004, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Deputy Herzog had been employed with the King County Sheriff's Office for 7 years, and had spent the past 4 years working in the City of Newcastle, which contracted with the sheriff's department for police coverage. He was a US Army veteran and is survived by his wife and two teenage daughters.