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.