Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Arizona
End of Watch Monday, June 12, 1972
Add to My HeroesRalph K. Butler
Deputy Ralph Butler was killed when his patrol car was struck by a tractor-trailer on U.S. 60 about 12 miles west of Wickenburg.
Deputy Butler received a radio call for assistance at the scene of a fatal crash. After turning his car around off the pavement, he pulled back on the road directly in the path of a large tractor-trailer. The impact caused him to become pinned in the wreckage. It took more than 1-1/2 hours for an ambulance to respond from Phoenix because the local emergency vehicles were at the scene of the original crash 25 miles away.
Deputy Butler was transported to a hospital in Wickenburg before being flown to Phoenix for surgery. He succumbed to his injuries the following evening.
Deputy Butler had served with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for six years. He was survived by his wife and two children. His father served as a police officer for the Wickenburg Police Department.
Bio
- Age 31
- Tour 6 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Automobile crash
- Incident Date Sunday, June 11, 1972
Most Recent Reflection
View all 8 ReflectionsThank you for your service sir.
Officer Justin Lemon
Wickenburg Police
June 13, 2020
Recent LODD Deaths

Senior Corrections Officer Daniel Sincavage
New Jersey Department of Corrections, NJ
EOW: May 19, 2022

Border Patrol Agent Daniel Salazar
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: May 17, 2022

Chief Deputy Sheriff Jody Wayne Cash
Calloway County Sheriff's Office, KY
EOW: May 16, 2022

Deputy Sheriff Walter Donald Jenkins, Jr.
Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: May 11, 2022

Deputy Sheriff Robert Adam Howard
Harris County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: May 11, 2022

Patrol Officer Brian Lee Sember
Ottawa Police Department, IL
EOW: April 3, 2022

Sergeant Nicholas W. Tullier
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, LA
EOW: May 5, 2022

Police Officer Darryl Wayne Fortner
Vestavia Hills Police Department, AL
EOW: April 6, 2022

Deputy Sheriff Nicholas D. Weist
Knox County Sheriff's Office, IL
EOW: April 29, 2022