Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, California
End of Watch Saturday, April 29, 1950
Add to My HeroesWilliam A. White
Deputy White was shot and killed while he and a game warden were conducting an investigation into the theft of sheep. They were watching a home at a Feliz Creek ranch near Hopland where suspicious activity had been reported. They had left their car some distance from the home and Deputy White was walking towards it when a ranch hand, 23, and the home owners son, 27, opened fire from outside the home. Deputy White was fatally wounded but managed to return fire, seriously wounding the owner's son. The game warden who was walking to the home from a different direction did not hear the shots. The ranch hand ran a mile to a phone at a store and informed the county sheriff about what had happened.
Both said they saw the car stop several yards from the home and the lights turned off. They said in was very dark and mistook Deputy White for a prowler and opened fire. Both were charged with murder, but the charges were later reduced to manslaughter. On October 1, 1950, their trial ended with a hung jury. There was never a new trial and the charges were dismissed.
Deputy White had served with the agency for 4 years. He was survived by his wife and four children.
Bio
- Age 39
- Tour 4 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Rifle; .22 caliber
- Offender Charges dismissed
Most Recent Reflection
View all 9 ReflectionsRest In Peace Brother LEO. You are honored and remembered on the 68th anniversary of your EOW.
Officer Mike Robinson (Ret)
Upland Police Dept. CA
April 29, 2018
Recent LODD Deaths
Police Officer Kyle Hicks
Corpus Christi Police Department, TX
EOW: April 24, 2024
Investigator John Hampton Coddou, III
Harris County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: April 23, 2024
Police Officer Jordan Wingate
Oakland Police Department, CA
EOW: April 20, 2024
Police Officer Luis M. Huesca
Chicago Police Department, IL
EOW: April 21, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Tobin Bolter
Ada County Sheriff's Office, ID
EOW: April 21, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Alfredo "Freddy" Flores
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: April 20, 2024
Investigator Brian Herbert
Osage Nation Police Department, TR
EOW: April 17, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Fred Fislar
Hendricks County Sheriff's Office, IN
EOW: April 16, 2024
Police Officer Michael E. Jensen
Syracuse Police Department, NY
EOW: April 14, 2024