Deputy Sheriff Jose Cisneros
Solano County Sheriff's Department
California
End of Watch: Sunday, August 25, 1985

Biographical Info
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Badge Number: 1L38

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Sunday, August 25, 1985
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Convicted of second degree murder

Deputy Cisneros was shot and killed while investigating a van without license plates parked off a rural county road. He was en route to back up another officer on a van littering call. He saw the van parked, backed up, on a farmer's access road off Cherry Glen Road and radioed in that he was out at the van.

As the deputy got out of his patrol car, a male suspect ran to the front of the van armed with a shotgun. The suspect was trying to talk the deputy into dropping his weapon. Deputy Cisneros saw that a second suspect had started the van and told the first suspect that his partner was going to run him over. While the first suspect looked back at the van, the deputy tried to back up to his vehicle, but before he could get there the first suspect shot him with the shotgun, killing him instantly.

Because other officers were in the area, Deputy Cisneros' body was found almost immediately. A pursuit down developed Cherry Glen Road with the suspects shooting out the tire of a California Highway Patrol officer's vehicle. After more agencies and the California Highway Patrol helicopter became involved in the pursuit, the suspects realized there was no escape, pulled into an orchard and surrendered.

The van had been taken at gunpoint earlier in the day in San Pablo, California, but the dispatch center did not have that information. It is likely that because the notice had been issued during shift change for the dispatch center, it was not heard.

The shooting suspect was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life imprisonment. The suspect committed suicide in 1997 while at Folsom Prison.

Deputy Cisneros had served with the Solano County Sheriff's Department for 14 years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and brother.