Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 26, 1964
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 26 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: May 26, 1964
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Willard Ballard suffered a fatal heart attack while investigating a burglary.
He was on his way to an informant's house when he suffered a heart attack while driving. He drifted through an intersection and hit a light signal at Beverly Boulevard and Hillview Avenue. He was transported to Bella Vista Hospital, where he died the next day.
Sergeant Ballard was a United States World War II Army veteran who had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 26 years and was assigned to the East Los Angeles Station.
His grandson, Police Officer Kyle Russell Ballard, died in the line of duty in 2006 from a heart attack while on a training run.