Chelan County Sheriff's Office, Washington
End of Watch: Thursday, June 26, 2003
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 7 years, 6 months
Badge Number: K20
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 26, 2003
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Deputy Sheriff Saul Gallegos was shot and killed after stopping a man suspected of driving on a suspended license on U.S. 150, in Manson, at approximately 6:00 pm.
The subject pulled into a driveway and fled on foot with Deputy Gallegos in pursuit. A violent struggle ensued in which Deputy Gallegos was shot two times. A citizen used Deputy Gallegos' radio to report that an officer had been shot.
The suspect was apprehended three days later in Connell, Washington. He was found guilty of aggravated first-degree murder on October 28th, 2004, and sentenced to life in prison. On September 25th, 2009, he stabbed a fellow inmate to death.
Deputy Gallegos was a U.S. Army veteran. He had served with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office for seven months and previously served with the Chelan Police Department and the Chelan County Juvenile Detention Center for seven years. He is survived by his wife and four young sons.