Archives: Fallen Officers

Keith Boyer

At approximately 8:30am on Sunday, February 20, 2017, Whittier police officers responded to a traffic collision in the area of Colima Road and Mar Vista Street in Whittier.  Reportedly, one vehicle had rear-ended multiple vehicles.  When officers arrived on scene the victims stated the suspect had pushed his vehicle around the corner.  Officers made contact with the suspect and as they moved to pat him down the suspect produced a hand gun and opened fire, striking both officers. At least one officer returned fire, striking the suspect. Both officers were rushed to UC Irvine Medical Center. Tragically, Officer Keith Boyer did not survive. His partner was last listed in stable condition in the ICU.

It was later learned the suspect, a 26 year old known gang member, had been released on parole 10 days prior and was driving a stolen vehicle. The investigation is on-going.

Officer Keith Boyer, age 53, was a 27-year veteran of the Whittier Police Department.  He is survived by his children and parents.

Dennis Wallace

See announcement from Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department for additional details.

At approximately 8:24am on Sunday, November 13, 2016, Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff Dennis Wallace was on duty in his marked vehicle patrolling Fox Grove Park in Hughson when he called in a suspicious person/vehicle. Dispatch reported the vehicle as stolen and Deputy Wallace immediately requested back-up. Subsequent calls to Deputy Wallace went unanswered. The first assisting Deputy arrived on scene within 5 minutes and found Deputy Wallace down with gunshot injuries. Deputy Wallace was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

The suspect had fled the scene but was later captured in Tulare County. He was identified as a known parolee with felony outstanding warrants.

Deputy Wallace, age 53, was a 20-year veteran of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. He is survived by his wife and family.

Alfonso Lopez

At approximately 5:10am on Monday, October 24, 2016, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Alfonso Lopez was responding to a stolen-vehicle pursuit call when his patrol vehicle crashed at the intersection of Myrrh Street and Willowbrook Avenue in Compton. A citizen came into the Compton Station to report the crash, stating the driver was unresponsive. Deputies rushed to the scene, approximately 100 yards from the station, where they found Sergeant Lopez in his vehicle unconscious and non-responsive. He was transported to St. Francis Medical Center. Despite the valiant efforts of responding deputies and medical personnel, Sergeant Lopez could not be revived. It is believed he suffered a medical emergency prior to his vehicle colliding with a fence at low speeds.

Sergeant Alfonso Lopez, age 47, served in various assignments throughout his 26-year career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including the Special Victim’s Bureau. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Jack Hopkins

At 10:27am, on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, Modoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Jack Hopkins responded to a domestic disturbance call in the vicinity of county roads 170 and 115, approximately eight miles south of Alturas. Deputy Hopkins was fired upon as he entered the rural property and made contact with the primary suspect. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle and was intercepted on a nearby road by Sheriff Mike Poindexter, who was also responding to the disturbance call. Sheriff Poindexter was fired upon by the suspect and an exchange of gunfire ensued. Officers from all surrounding agencies responded to the OIS call. By 11:00am the scene was secured and the suspect, wounded by Sheriff Poindexter, was taken into custody. Responding officers determined that Deputy Hopkins was killed instantly in the encounter with the suspect.

Deputy Jack Hopkins, age 31, joined Modoc County Sheriff’s Office in 2015. Previous to that he served for the Alturas Police Department. He is survived by his father Lance Hopkins, mother Carroll Hopkins, grandmother Twila Hopkins, five siblings and a large extended family.

William H. Waggoner

William H. Waggoner was born in Missouri in 1894. In 1929, at the age of 34, he became a Patrolman with the Long Beach Police Department. He quickly made headlines in prohibition area Long Beach participating in daring raids of offshore gambling vessels. During prohibition, the Long Beach Police Department patrolled the docks to dissuade people from taking water taxis to the gambling ships.

On December 21, 1930, Officer Waggoner and Officer Chester A. Jenks were fired upon while questioning men waiting in a Dodge Sedan to board a water taxi headed to the Rose Isle. As Jenks stumbled backwards, Waggoner ran into the line of fire to protect his fellow officer. During the gunfight, Officer Waggoner was struck by a bullet that lodged near his spine.

At the time of the shooting, the two officers had no idea the shooters were gangsters involved in the E.L. “Zeke” Caress disappearance. Caress was the Agua Caliente (tiquana) betting commissioner. Earlier that day, Caress, his wife, and houseboy had been kidnapped by alleged Chicago gangster Ralph Sheldon (a.k.a. James Sherman). The kidnappers made Caress write four checks totaling $50,000, which they planned to cash aboard the Rose Isle–except Officers Waggoner and Jenks foiled their plan.

The wounding of Officer Waggoner led to an all-out assault on organized crime in Southern California, starting with the raid of the Rose Isle and other gambling vessels. The investigation into the shooting led to a wealth of evidence against the mob, much of it from small-time gangster Jimmy Doolan who turned state witness in the kidnapping case in exchange for a lesser charge. The trial for Waggoner’s assailants and the subsequent Caress kidnapping trial were as salacious as any Chicago-area mob trial for the spectators who attended each day. It included taking the jury to the bedside of paralyzed Officer Waggoner and attempted bribery to buy Officer Jenks’ silence by a henchman of Ralph Sheldon. Initially, Waggoner’s shooters were acquitted by a jury, but new evidence presented by Doolan eventually led to a conviction.

Officer William Homer Waggoner lived 24 years as a paraplegic, eventually dying at the age of 61 in December 1954 . Seven years prior to his death, Waggoner had a kidney removed. Funeral services were held for him on the anniversary of the famous mob shooting: December 21, 1954.

Officer William Waggoner was survived by his wife Mary, a son, a daughter, three grandchildren, two sisters, and three brothers.