Officer Alfred R. Turner was patrolling on Interstate 5 near Los Banos when he stopped a vehicle at 10 p.m. because the motorist was driving with a burned-out headlight. Turner was unaware that the car had just been stolen in San Leandro. As the officer stepped out of his patrol car, the motorist exited his vehicle and they began walking toward each other when the motorist suddenly pulled a .357 magnum revolver and opened fire. Turner was hit with three bullets, but returned fire and hit his assailant with five shots. Although critically wounded the officer managed to return to his patrol car and radio for help. Officer Turner, 35, succumbed to his wounds and died 12 days later. Officer Turner was a seven-year member of the CHP. His killer recovered from his wounds and was charged with murder.

Officer Franke N. Lewis, after arriving home after a night on duty on December 13, 1975, went to investigate an “unknown trouble” situation occurring in a vehicle parked near his Long Beach home. Lewis was shot and killed by an unknown assailant.

Sergeant Collins, 35, died when the helicopter he was flying crashed in the Santa Clara Riverbed.

Tom started the helicopter unit for the sheriff’s department in 1971.

Prior to working for the department, he flew helicopters for the Navy. As a Naval Lieutenant, Tom was the youngest commissioned officer at that time.

On October 15, 1975, at 11:15 a.m., an off-duty Ontario officer observed a wanted homicide suspect walking along the Interstate 10 freeway. Several officers were assigned to the area, one of which began taking rifle rounds as he approached and adjacent apartment complex. The suspect had made his way to this complex. Officer Hyche approached the area from the opposite direction, and turned into this same apartment complex. He exited his vehicle in a parking area to wave down a gardener to ask for information. As he did so, the suspect fired from the corner of one of the apartments, striking Hyche in the chest. Two other officers risked their lives to rescue Hyche, but they were too late. The suspect was later talked out of hiding and was successfully prosecuted for murder.

Officer Vincent L. Leusch died on Monday, September 22, 1975, when he was involved in a traffic accident. He was a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southwest Division.

On August 16, 1975, Madera County Deputy Sheriff Steve Lindblom, a 26 year-old, with just three years experience as a peace officer, responded to back up Madera Police Department officers who had answered an “armed man holding hostages” call within the City of Madera.

Upon his arrival at the scene, Lindblom was directed to cover the rear of the house, where the armed suspect was holding his wife and three children hostage, threatening to shoot any officer who approached.

Shortly after Lindblom’s arrival on the scene, officers covering the front of the house heard a gun shot coming from the rear of the house. responding officers found Deputy Lindblom lying in the back yard with a single, fatal gunshot to the head.

During the course of the stand-off the suspect wounded two additional Reserve Deputies, neither fatally.

After all attempts to talk the suspect out had failed, officers fired tear gas projectiles into the house. The suspect released the woman and three children that he had held hostage. Officers entering the residence found the suspect deceased, surrounded by a large cache of weapons.

Steve Lindblom was survived by his wife Judy and 4-year old son Jeff. Tragically, young Jeff Lindblom lost his battle with cancer just four years after the death of his heroic father.