Yuba County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch: Tuesday, April 1, 1997
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 1 month, 2 weeks
Badge Number: 550
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 1, 1997
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Found guilty
Deputy Meilbeck was shot and killed after he and two other deputies had responded to a domestic disturbance call in which a man shot his brother in the leg.
As the deputies approached, the suspect fired once through the window, striking Deputy Meilbeck in his chest, just above his vest. He was pronounced dead upon arriving at a nearby hospital. The suspect was arrested about 20 minutes later after a standoff in which more shots were fired. The suspect was found guilty of second-degree murder in the fall of 1998.
Deputy Meilbeck had only served with the Yuba County Sheriff's Department for 7 weeks. He is survived by his wife and two-year-old son.