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From the moment they are first sworn in, every officer accepts the possibility that one day they could lose their life in pursuit to save another. It's that bravery, courage and heroism that we will forever honor. We pay tribute to the members of the Professional Peace Officers Association who have sacrificed their lives in the performance of duty.

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PPOA's Fallen Members:

Deputy Charlene Rottler

Deputy Charlene "Charlie" Rottler was one of the first female deputies at Altadena Station who suffered catastrophic injuries in a crash with a drunk driver in 1972.  After 55 operations and 4 decades of suffering, she succumbed to her injuries in 2010. Read more. 

Age: 68
Tour of Duty: 5
Cause of Death: Car accident
Date of Incident: 11/05/72
Photograph: Captain Michael Lawrence Sparkes Sr.

Captain Michael Lawrence Sparkes Sr.

Captain Michael Sparkes was shot and killed when he identified himself and attempted to take action against two suspects as they attempted to rob him while he was off duty. Read more. 

Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 30 years Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 8/10/04
Suspect Info: Sentenced to death
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff David Alan Powell

Deputy Sheriff David Alan Powell

Deputy David Powell was shot and killed after he and his partner responded to reports of gunshots near 166th Street and Elaine Avenue in Artesia at 1030 hours. Read more.  

Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 11/30/02
Suspect Info: Shot and killed

Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Hagop Jake Kuredjian

Deputy Sheriff Hagop Jake Kuredjian

Deputy Hagop Jake Kuredjian was shot and killed after responding to backup another deputy and federal agents who were attempting to serve a warrant on a man for impersonating a police officer and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Read more. 

Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 8/31/01
Suspect Info: Killed in fire
Photograph: Sergeant Larrell Kent Smith


Sergeant Larrell Kent Smith

Sergeant Larrell Smith was shot and killed during a SWAT raid while serving a search warrant. He was the third man on the team making an entry through a window. Read more.
Age: 40
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 4/16/83
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Jack Don Williams

Deputy Sheriff Jack Don Williams

Deputy Jack Williams was shot and killed as he and other members of the Narcotics Bureau served a warrant on a home. Read more. 

Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 5/29/79
Suspect Info: Sentenced to death
Photograph: Deputy Thomas H. Pohlman

Deputy Thomas H. Pohlman

Deputy Thomas Pohlman was shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest. Deputy Pohlman was on patrol when he smelled ether, used to manufacture PCP. He called for assistance but before back up could arrive, the suspect ran from the scene. Read more. 

Age: 27
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 4/18/78
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Arthur E. Pelino

Deputy Sheriff Arthur E. Pelino

Deputy Arthur Pelino was shot and killed by a mentally deranged suspect. Deputy Pelino was a Resident Deputy in Gorman, which is located in a rural section of Los Angeles County. Read more.
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 21 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 3/19/78
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 2 1/2 years
Photograph: Deputy Didier M. Hurdle

Deputy Didier M. Hurdle

Deputy Didier Hurdle was shot and killed after stopping suspected gang members. When Deputy Hurdle and a cadet trainee stopped the suspect’s car, the suspect exited and opened fire. Read more.
Age: 36
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 11/25/77
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Darden Hollis

Deputy Sheriff Darden Hollis

Deputy Darden Hollis was shot and killed during a struggle with a man on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Read more.

Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 1/1/75
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff James Foote

Deputy Sheriff James Foote

Deputy Foote was killed in an automobile accident while responding to a report of a gang fight. Read more.
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: 10/4/74
Photograph: Detective Donald William Schneider

Detective Donald William Schneider

Detective Schneider and Detective Sergeant Carl Wilson were shot and killed when they attempted to apprehend a suspect who had murdered two people. Read more.
Age: 40
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 1/4/73
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Photograph: Detective Sergeant Carl Eugene Wilson

Detective Sergeant Carl Eugene Wilson

Detective Sergeant Wilson and Deputy Donald Schneider were shot and killed when they attempted to apprehend a suspect who had murdered two people. Read more. 

Age: 40
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 1/4/73
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Photograph: Deputy Joseph O. Herrera
Deputy Joseph O. Herrera

Deputy Joseph Herrera was killed when a Department bus struck him. Deputy Herrera was directing a bus that was backing up at the Mens’ Central Jail. Read more. 
Age: 42
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: 10/7/72
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Charles O. Ley
Deputy Sheriff Charles O. Ley

Deputy Charles Ley was killed in an automobile accident while on patrol the morning of May 24, 1972. Read more. 
Age: 31
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: 5/24/72
Photograph: Deputy Barry J. Hoffman

Deputy Barry J. Hoffman

Deputy Barry Hoffman was shot and killed during a struggle. Deputy Hoffman and his partner were questioning two suspects near a bar in Lawndale when the two suspects attempted to flee. Read more.
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 10/ 25/71
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Gary David Saunders
Deputy Sheriff Gary David Saunders

Deputy Gary Saunders was shot and killed with his own service weapon following a foot chase of a suspect near the intersection of Florence and Holmes Avenues. Read more.
Age: 31
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 5/22/71
Suspect Info: Convicted of murder
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Louis Carl Wallace

Deputy Sheriff Louis Carl Wallace

Deputy Wallace was shot and killed after he and his partner made a stop of a suspicious person. Read more. 
Age: 29
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 12/870
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Photograph: Deputy Gordon D. Erickson

Deputy Gordon D. Erickson

Deputy Gordon Erickson was killed when he fell from a moving vehicle. Deputy Gordon was a passenger in a Sheriff’s Department bus when the driver made a left turn. Read more. 

Age: 25
Cause of Death: Fall
Date of Incident: Friday, April 24, 1970
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Reserve Motor Deputy Lionel W. Dashley

Reserve Deputy Dashley was killed in a motorcycle accident while pursuing a vehicle on the Pacific Coast Highway. Read more.
Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: 9/1/69
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Reserve Deputy Sheriff Charles D. Rea

Reserve Deputy Rea drowned after falling into a stream while attempting to rescue civilians trapped in Big Tujunga Canyon during a flash flood. Read more.
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 11 months
Cause of Death: Drowned
Date of Incident: 1/26/69
Photograph: Deputy Robert K. Schnur
Deputy Robert K. Schnur

Deputy Schnur and Deputy Gary McCullah were killed in a helicopter accident. The Deputies were flying low in a helicopter in the Whittier Hills when they struck abandoned telephone wires in a canyon. Read more.
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: 9/30/68
Photograph: Deputy Gary E. McCullah
Deputy Gary E. McCullah

Deputy McCullah and Deputy Robert Schnur were killed in a helicopter accident. The Deputies were flying low in a helicopter in the Whittier Hills when they struck abandoned telephone wires in a canyon. Read more.
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: 9/30/68
Deputy Sheriff James W. Waygood

Deputy James Waygood was killed in an traffic accident while on patrol. Read more.
Age: 25
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: 10/11/67
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Reserve Deputy Sheriff Michael V. Wigderson

Reserve Deputy Wigderson was accidentally shot and killed during a training exercise at the Reserve Academy in East Los Angeles. Read more.
Age: 30
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Accidental)
Date of Incident: 3/20/67
Photograph: Deputy Ronald E. Ludlow

Deputy Ronald E. Ludlow

Deputy Ronald Ludlow was shot and killed during the Watts Riots. Deputy Ludlow and other deputies were attempting to disperse a crowd from a liquor store that had been looted and set on fire. Read more.
Age: 26
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 9/13/65
Suspect Info: Convicted of manslaughter
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff John M. Slobojan
Deputy Sheriff John M. Slobojan

Deputy Slobojan suffered a fatal heart attack during a foot pursuit of a juvenile robbery suspect. During the chase Deputy Slobojan collapsed. Read more. 
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: 11/7/64
Click here to submit this officer's photograph
Reserve Deputy Lloyd G. Constantine

Reserve Deputy Lloyd Constantine was killed when a drunk driver struck his patrol car. Read more.
Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: 6/24/64
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Sergeant Willard R. Ballard

Sergeant Ballard suffered a fatal heart attack while investigating a burglary. Read more.
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 26 years
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: 5/26/64
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff William A. White
Deputy Sheriff William A. White

Deputy White was killed when his patrol car was struck by the getaway vehicle from a disturbance call he was en route to. Read more.
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: 3/21/64
Photograph: Detective Timothy J. Harnett

Detective Timothy J. Harnett

Detective Timothy Harnett died from a heart attack while pursuing a suspect. Detective Harnett was assigned to the Vice Bureau. Read more. 
Age: 30
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: 11/22/61
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff Manuel A. Ayon

Deputy Sheriff Manuel A. Ayon

Deputy Ayon was killed in an automobile accident as he was finishing up his shift. His patrol car left the roadway, struck a ditch and then a utility pole. Read more.
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: 1/18/61
Photograph: Reserve Deputy Sheriff Lee E. Sawyer
Reserve Deputy Sheriff Lee E. Sawyer

Deputy Sawyer was killed when his patrol car was struck by a drunk driver at the intersection of South Street and Paramount Boulevard while driving between two parks on Halloween night. Read more. 
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: 10/14/60
Photograph: Deputy Harold A. Reis Jr.

Deputy Harold A. Reis Jr.

Deputy Reis was killed in an automobile accident when his patrol car was broadsided while he was responding to a call. Read more.
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: 9/23/58
Photograph: Lieutenant Donald J. Gillis
Lieutenant Donald J. Gillis

Lieutenant Gillis was shot and killed while off duty while attempting to disarm a drunk a and disorderly man while camping in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area with his wife. Read more. 
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 9/20/58
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Photograph: Deputy Sheriff David Alois Horr
Deputy Sheriff David Alois Horr

Deputy Horr succumbed to a gunshot wound received two months earlier after responding to a disturbance call. Read more.
Age: 34
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 12/7/57
Suspect Info: Released after 7 years
Photograph: Deputy Harold Stephen Blevins
Deputy Harold Stephen Blevins

Deputy Harold Blevins was shot and killed during an armed robbery. Deputy Blevins and his partner responded to an armed robbery in progress by two suspects at a local restaurant. Read more.
Age: 26
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: 10/12/57
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Click here to submit this officer's photograph
Sergeant Vernon J. Corbell

Sergeant Corbell and Raymond Willis, a civilian polygraph technician for the department, were killed in an airplane accident while searching for a downed plane near Malibu. Read more.
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: 4/15/57
Photograph: Deputy Edwin M. Falkowski

Deputy Edwin M. Falkowski

Deputy Falkowski suffered a fatal heart attack while he and other deputies attempted to disperse a crowd of unruly juveniles in West Whittier. Read more.
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 5 years, 6 months
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: 9/17/55

Learn about more fallen heroes on the Officer Down Memorial Page.

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