Island County Sheriff's Office, Washington
End of Watch: Saturday, November 14, 1987
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 7 years, 2 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 14, 1987
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Sheriff John Saxerud and Deputy Sheriff William Heffernan were shot and killed by a man they had arrested for drunk driving.
As they took the man into the processing area of the jail, the man pulled out a concealed handgun and shot them both, killing them almost instantly.
The suspect was convicted of two counts of aggravated first-degree murder and sentenced to two life terms.
Deputy Saxerud had served with the Island County Sheriff's Office for two months and previously served with the Laimer County (Colorado) Sheriff's Office for seven years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.