Island County Sheriff's Office, Washington
End of Watch: Saturday, November 14, 1987
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: 317
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 14, 1987
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Sheriff William Heffernan and Deputy Sheriff John Saxerud were shot and killed by a man they had arrested for drunk driving.
As they took the man into the processing area of the jail, the man pulled out a concealed handgun and shot them both, killing them almost instantly.
The suspect was convicted of two counts of aggravated first-degree murder and sentenced to two life terms.
Deputy Heffernan was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Island County Sheriff's Office for nine years. He was survived by his wife and two children.