Branch County Sheriff's Office, Michigan
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 12, 1917
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: 1
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 12, 1917
Weapon Used: Handgun; .32 caliber
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Sheriff George Ralston was shot and killed when he and a deputy went to speak with a mentally ill farmer who had been causing problems in his neighborhood in California township.
The farmer ambushed them as they approached the area. Sheriff Ralston was shot in the side and fell to the ground. The deputy, who was unarmed, took cover on the side of the road.
After firing at the retreating deputy the man began shooting Sheriff Ralston again, striking him in the back and lung. The man fled into his house where he was shot and killed by a posse after a standoff.
Sheriff Ralston had served with the Branch County Sheriff's Office for just under three years. He was survived by his wife and five children.