Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, California
End of Watch: Thursday, January 13, 1983
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 3, 1983
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Deputy Sheriff Michael Gray succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained 10 days earlier while attempting to question a transient in front of a business at 5805 Highway 9 in Felton, California.
As Deputy Gray stopped his patrol car, the man walked up to the driver's window and suddenly opened fire without warning, striking Deputy Gray in the abdomen several times. Despite being wounded, Deputy Gray was able to return as the man walked away.
The suspect also shot and wounded a California Highway Patrol officer who responded to Deputy Gray's call for help. The suspect fled into Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where his body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound several days later.
Deputy Gray was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and served with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office for eight years. He is survived by his wife, 6 year-old-son, mother, father, and brother, who was a Forest Service Ranger.
He is buried at the Felton Cemetery in Felton, Santa Cruz County, California.