Medina County Sheriff's Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Saturday, August 28, 1976
Age: 57
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: 128
Cause of Death: Duty related illness
Date of Incident: August 28, 1976
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff Joseph Baca suffered a fatal heart attack after struggling with a subject during a domestic violence call on Ledge Road in Hinckley.
At 4:15 p.m., Deputy Baca and two other deputies were sent to a home to quell a dispute between a husband a wife. Deputy Baca and another deputy struggle with the male subject. One deputy was pushed into a bee nest.
The deputies were able to arrest the subject. Deputy Baca returned to his patrol vehicle, where he became unconscious. He was taken to a local hospital where he was unable to be revived.
The suspect Deputy Baca was struggling with was committed to a state hospital.
Deputy Baca had served with the Medina County Sheriff's Department for 15 years.