Archives: Fallen Officers

David L. Holquin

Early morning hours, Deputy Holquin was on his way home driving on Florence Ave through the city of Bell. At the corner of Vinevale Ave., he saw a child sitting on a bus bench. He stopped to see why and made contact with the 5 year old boy. The boy spoke Spanish and David did not, so he called Bell P.D. and told them what he had.

In the 5 minutes that passed after the call was made, the boy’s father arrived from a nearby apt. The father, hype, ex-con gangster acted like he didn’t speak English either.

While attempting to get info from the father, Deputy Holquin was confronted by Mr. Jack Dangerfield Jefferies, a local resident. Jefferies spoke with Holquin briefly, left and went to his upstairs apartment and returned with a .45 pistol. He re contacted the group, confronted Holguin and told him he was harassing the father and son. He ultimately shot David Holquin once in the face and fled the scene. The father and son also split,, the father leaving his ID behind.

Bell P.D. Officer arrived just after the shooting, could still smell the gunshot in the air and watched David die before paramedics could get there.

All the players were located, arrested etc, Jefferies never did give a good explanation as to why he shot Holquin. He was convicted of 2nd degree murder, sentenced to 15 yrs to life.

He is still in custody and parole has been denied twice.

This was the first Deputy we had lost at FPK since Trinidad Iglesias shot and killed Gary Saunders at 70th and Holmes 14 years earlier.

Beauford L. Brooks

Reserve Deputy Loyd Brooks was assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department East Los Angeles Station at the time of his death. While directing traffic at a rescue scene, Deputy Brooks was struck by a motorist. The driver’s attention was diverted by a Department helicopter which was trying to land. When he noticed that all the traffic had stopped, he swerved around the vehicles, hitting Deputy Brooks.

Arthur W. Koch

Officer Art Koch, 34, a five-year veteran of the Fairfield Police Department just promoted to sergeant, was finishing his last shift as a patrol officer when a rifle shot from a bitter, legless Vietnam veteran ended his life on July 29, 1984. He died of massive internal injuries.

Koch was answering a disturbance call at the home of Stan Veketis on July 28, when soon after he got out of his car, he was shot. Verketis has been charged with first-degree murder.

The wounded officer lay by his car for more than 20 minutes before paramedics and firefighters were able to rescue him. Firefighters shot a stream of water at Verketis’ home while a paramedic scrambled out of a medical truck, dragged Koch into the vehicle, and sped away.

Nearly 1,000 Northern California law enforcement officers joined hundreds of family and friends as tribute was paid to the slain officer.

“He was the kind of man that would try to break dance with is son, would take his daughter swimming and throw her in the air,” said Fairfield Police Chief Charles Huchel in his eulogy. “He was the kind of man who wrote his mother a warning ticket on her birthday. In the remark section he wrote: ‘In violation of being the best mother in the world. Happy birthday.’ ”

“He was the kind of man who liked to be where the action was, in the thick of things,” Huchel said. “He gave his life protecting citizens so they may go on being husbands, fathers, daughters, sons, friends.”

A motorcade of more than 300 law enforcement vehicles and 150 motorcycles flanked the hearse as it made its way slowly from the church to the Fairfield Civic Center, where more people gathered to pay their respects to Koch.

Huchel said that Koch, who had served as a highway patrolman in San Francisco and Oakland for five years, came to the Fairfield Police Department in 1979 and recently completed in a promotional exam to become a sergeant.

“He was selected for the honor and it was a very high point in his life,” said Huchel. “He’d worked very hard to be promoted, and he was very excited for the future. This was his last tour of duty . . . the last shift he was to work as a patrol officer.” He was to begin work Friday as a sergeant, after a camping vacation. He died the morning he planned to go camping with his family.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., he came to California 14 years ago and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1972 after reaching the rank of sergeant as a radar technician.

Fairfield Mayor Gary Falati, addressing Koch’s widow, Barbara, and his three children, ages 10, 6, and 3, said “. . . we are indebted to you for the great sacrifice of your loved one.

“May the memory . . . of Art Koch be with us forever.”

Koch is also survived by parents, William and Gladys Koch; brothers, Russell and Donald Koch; sisters, Judith Ann Brockman and Pamela McGee; and grandparents, Eva B. Hoechuli, Lesle Evans, and Catherine Engers.

William C. Whitty

Two Richmond policemen on an air surveillance mission were killed July 5 when their Cessna 172 collided with another small plane and plummeted into a warehouse.

Ronald H. Fuller, a narcotics officer, and William C. Whitty, the pilot, died instantly. They were just beginning a narcotics enforcement operation at the time of the accident.

Fuller, 35, was a 10-year veteran of the department and had worked about a year in the narcotics investigation division. He was described as a quiet, modest and unassuming man who was “an outstanding officer.”

Fuller is survived by his wife Vickie and three children.

Whitty, a 14-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department, who was named 1977s Officer of the Year, lived in Richmond all of his life and was active in a large number of community organizations.

He headed an Explorer Scouts Post and was a past board member of the city’s YMCA. He also was active in the Parent-Teacher Association and served as a visiting police officer in several elementary schools.

Whitty, also 35, and is survived by his wife Pamela and two children.

Ronald H. Fuller

Two Richmond policemen on an air surveillance mission were killed July 5 when their Cessna 172 was struck by another small plane.

Ronald H. Fuller, a narcotics officer, and William C. Whitty, the pilot, died instantly. They were just beginning a narcotics enforcement operation at the time of the accident.

Officer Fuller, 35, was a 10-year veteran of the department and had worked about a year in the narcotics investigation division. He was described as a quiet, modest and unassuming man who was “an outstanding officer.”  He was the consummate professional and advanced from patrolman, to K-9 handler with trusted German Shepard partner Dohr; to narcotics investigation officer, much of the time along side trusted friend and fellow officer Ray Howard.

Aside from an obvious dedication to his community’s safety, Ron’s motivation was his family. His wife and high school sweetheart, Vickie; and their children Kimberly and Sharon were the focal points of his life. On a regular basis, he and Vickie volunteered as parent-aides at their daughter’s Hidden Valley Elementary School. Busy with their own family and individual careers, investing time in the school was important to Ron and Vickie and, as a result, they positively touched the lives of so many young people in their formative years.

Vices? Diversions? Ha, Ha! Yes! Out late and fishing with Bill, Mark, and “Sugar Bear”.

Ron’s family will undoubtedly miss him at times, but they will never be alone. They know his love and spirit will always be with them.

Update: Vickie guided the family into adulthood while becoming a successful manager for a large Bay Area company. Both Kim and Sharon are now following in those same footsteps of career and family.

Michael W. McClung

On July 2, Deputy Michael W. McClung had been patrolling his beat when he was struck by a Southern Pacific “Light Engine” unit. The impact was to the right front of the car that came to rest in a dry ditch immediately adjacent to and east of the railroad tracks and an estimated distance of 165 to 185 feet from the south edge of Meyers Road. The car was completely demolished and the subsequent autopsy revealed that McClung had been killed instantly.

McClung came to Colusa from Gridley and was employed by the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department as a Correctional Officer on June 6, 1983. He was appointed Deputy Sheriff on September 15, 1983, attended the Northern California Criminal Justice Training Center at Oroville in January 1984 and graduated in March 1984. He entered the Field Training Program on March 28, and continued in this program until June 1, 1984 when he was appointed to solo patrol duty. Currently he had been assigned to Beat #3, which is generally south of Williams to the Yolo County Line. He was on this Beat at the time of the accident. He was working his regular 10-hour shift from 0800 hrs. to 1800 hrs. About two weeks ago he had moved to his current residence in Williams.

McClung, 23, is survived by his wife, Cindy, 8-month-old son; and parents, Milton and Kathleen McClung.

Roy J. Reed

A state Fish and Game Department warden, Roy “John” Reed, was killed when his pickup truck overturned in a muddy cotton field west of Bakersfield while pursuing a small car.

Lt. Reed, 57, was a warden for 28 years, 26 of them in Kern County and talked about retiring in October. Reed began a 34-year career a protector of our natural resources and heritage, as a state Fish and Game Hatchery Assistant. He spent six years in this assignment and in 1956 he became a warden. His first assignment was as a Boarding Officer on a patrol boat in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. In 1958 he transferred to Taft and in 1961 he was assigned to Bakersfield.

This began a long and close working relationship with the Kern County Sheriff’s department. Through this association, Reed also became a member of the Sheriff’s Aero Squadron, giving his expert knowledge of the mountains and back roads, during downed aircraft searches.

The accident occurred on a dirt road south of Stockdale Highway and 1 ½ miles west of Buena Vista Road, in an area another warden described as a favorite of dove poachers. Officials were told of the chase by Charles Durham, 65, a relative of Reed’s who also was riding in the pickup. Durham was able to walk down the road and signal a city water truck. Durham said the warden had pulled up behind a parked bllue or tan car on the levee near the Kern River. The car was driven away, and Reed pursued the vehicle at speeds between 50 and 60 miles per hour.

When the pickup hit a large puddle, Reed apparently lost control of the truck, the vehicle swerved into the field and rolled. It landed on its wheels and sank into the soft earth. Reed was thrown out and landed face down in the muddy water.

His wife, Shirley Jean, and three children survive Lt. Reed. Their son, Walter, recently took the warden examination and is on the list of eligibles.

Errol J. Rogers

Del Norte Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Errol J. Rogers, 43, died on June 6, 1984, when a vehicle that he was in left the one lane roadway in a remote area near Klamath and rolled down a canyon 350 to 500 feet. The weather was heavy fog and rain.

Rogers had been assisting with a marijuana raid at the time of the incident. The group had located two gardens with approximately 115 marijuana plants and had a subject in custody.

The driver of the vehicle, Tom MacDonald, suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Howard S. W. Huang

Park Patrol Officer Howard Huang was brutally murdered on the morning of March 11, 1984, while working a one-man unit in South Central Los Angeles. As with many other of the security officers of Los Angeles County, Huang had been working this late shift by himself for several months.

A common occurrence, and unfortunately an accepted practice, which lead to Huang paying the ultimate price. He gave his life in the performance of duty. A sacrifice that should make every peace officer even more aware of the hazards of his work and the ease in which he can lose his life.

The shooting death of Huang, the first officer to be killed while on duty in the 15-year history of the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department’s patrol force, has baffled investigators.

And In the words of one of his colleagues, the killing “was a rude awakening that may cause us to look at ourselves and our job a little more.”

Lt. Carl Moore, supervisor of the park and recreation patrol, said Huang was “a very alert officer who took pride in wearing his uniform. He was a people person and had a very pleasant attitude while on the job. He was respected and well-liked.”

The services, which were held March 20 at Rose Hill Mortuary, were attended by more than 350 police officers from various departments throughout the State. Officer Huang’s mother, Mrs. Huang, received the State of California Flag that was flying on the State Capitol Building March 11, and Huang’s name will be added to the Peace Officers’ Memorial in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento.

More importantly Huang’s name will be memorialized by his friends and fellow officers.

“Officer Huang, who was involved in his community, really enjoyed being a peace officer and being around people. He will indeed be missed by all of us who knew him,” said Chuck Kowalski, president of the L.A. County Safety Police Association.