Detective Thomas Charles Williams, Jr.

Thomas Charles Williams, Jr.

Detective Thomas Williams was ambushed and assassinated in order to prevent him from testifying in an upcoming robbery trial. He was picking up his 5-year-old son at a church day care center in Canoga Park when masked gunman drove up beside him and sprayed his car with bullets.

Four men were arrested and charged with murder. Three months later two more were charged. Later three more were charged bringing the total to nine. The man, 33, who sprayed the machine gun fire was sentence to death in 1988. As of December 3, 2022, he was in San Quentin Prison on death row. In 1989 the man, 23, who planned the ambush was convicted of conspiracy and acquitted of murder. He was paroled in 2017. Another, 24, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. As of December 3, 2022, he was in Solano Prison. Another conspirator, 23, was sentenced to 25 years to life, and was denied parole in 2009.

Detective Williams was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor for the actions taken by him to protect his son during the incident. He had served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 13 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.