Alameda County Sheriff's Office, California
End of Watch Tuesday, July 19, 1898
Add to My HeroesJohn J. Lerri
Deputy Constable John Lerri was one of five deputies killed as a result of a powder magazine explosion in pursuit of a suspected murderer.
He served 5 years as a law enforcement officer and was survived by his wife, eight children, and his mother.
Deputy Daniel Cameron, Constable Gustave Koch, Deputy John Lerri, Deputy Charles White, and Deputy George Woodsum were killed when a powder magazine containing a barricaded murder suspect exploded. The suspect was an employee of an explosives company and had murdered a coworker during a dispute over Chinese lottery tickets.
The suspect fled into the powder keg, which contained 5-tons of powder, and threatened to blow it up if anyone attempted to arrest him. The standoff continued overnight and into the morning until the suspect called to Deputy White and told him he was ready to come out.
As the other deputies approached the magazine it suddenly exploded, killing the five deputies, a female bystander, the suspect, and seriously injuring two other deputies.
Bio
- Age 44
- Tour 5 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Explosion
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