Nelson K. Sasscer a twenty-four year old Santa Ana Police Officer, was murdered while on patrol duty in Santa Ana on June 4, 1969, within a half hour of beginning his shift. He was shot before he could draw his own weapon. The subsequent investigation resulted In the prosecution and conviction of a professed member of the militant radical black panther party.

Investigator William Carter was employed with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for seven years. He was hired on January 4, 1962. Investigator Carter was assigned to the Indio Station. His law enforcement career began with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department and he did not work with any other law enforcement agency.

On May 14, 1969, Investigator Carter and Sergeant William Rutledge were traveling from Blythe to Indio after working during the morning hours in Blythe. Both men apparently dozed off. The patrol unit they were traveling in smashed into the rear end of a truck and killed Sergeant Rutledge instantly. Investigator Carter died six days later.

Investigator Carter was survived by his wife, Ethel, and three children.

Sergeant William Rutledge was employed with Riverside Sheriff’s Department for seven and a half years. He was hired on October 18, 1961, and assigned to the Indio Station. In November 1965, he was reclassified to Investigator and in June 1967, was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to the Indio Jail.

Sergeant Rutledge began his career in law enforcement by attending the Riverside Sheriff’s 19th Basic Academy. He was hired by Riverside County Sheriff and did not work for any other law enforcement agency.

On May 14, 1969, Investigator William Carter and Sergeant Rutledge were traveling from Blythe to Indio after working during the morning hours in Blythe. Both men apparently dozed off. The patrol unit they were traveling in smashed into the rear end of a truck and killed Sergeant Rutledge instantly. Investigator Carter died six days later.

Sergeant Rutledge was survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children. He was also survived by his parents and one brother. Sergeant Rutledge was born in Enid, Oklahoma.

Officer Wesley D. Johnson was on routine patrol when his vehicle struck a road marker causing him to lose control. Johnson’s patrol car hit an embankment and rolled over several times killing the 39-year-old officer. Johnson was a 11-year veteran of the CHP and had served in the Merced Area office for 10 years before transferring to Sonora.

Sheriff’s Sergeant Donald Hodges, 39, was shot and killed while pursuing a purse snatch suspect who fled from the Sandpiper, a Benton Park cocktail lounge in southwest Bakersfield.

A member of the Sheriff’s department 18 years, but on medical leave since the previous summer when he underwent back surgery, Hodges was found sprawled on the pavement in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex. He was pronounced dead on arrival to Kern General Hospital.

From the events pieced together by police, Hodges had been on an all-day boating and water skiing outing with a group of friends and after a late dinner had gone into the cocktail lounge. One member of Hodges party went to the restroom and observed a man searching through a women’s purse which appeared to be one belonging to a woman in Hodges’ group.

The purse thief suspect fled from the restroom, dropping the purse in the bar lounge as he ran outside. Hodges and another member in his party, Robert Owens, set off in pursuit as the suspect headed in the direction of the apartment complex that Hodges would later be found in.

During the chase, Hodges and Owens separated, hoping to close in on the suspect from two sides. Owens said minutes later he heard a series of shots, five or six, and went back to find Hodges on the pavement in the apartment parking lot.