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Sheriff W. W. Wright | Nevada County Sheriff's Office, California
Nevada County Sheriff's Office, California

Sheriff

W. W. Wright

Nevada County Sheriff's Office, California

End of Watch: Monday, November 3, 1856

Biographical Info

Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: November 3, 1856
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Not available

Sheriff W.W. Wright and City Marshal David Johnson, of Nevada City, were shot and killed as they rode with a posse attempting to recapture three inmates who had escaped from the Nevada County Jail.

A second posse had secreted themselves in a remote area at Gold Ravine, near Gold Flat, believing the escapees would go to that area. Sheriff Wright and Marshal Johnson were in a second posse who also went to that area and became suspicious when they saw horses tied to a tree.

As members of the second posse approached the horses they were confronted by members of the first posse. The two posses exchanged fire in a case of mistaken identity and both Sheriff Wright and Marshal Johnson received fatal wounds.