Deputy Sheriff William A. White

William A. White

Deputy Sheriff Bill White was shot and killed while he and a game warden were conducting an investigation into the theft of sheep.

They were watching a home at a Feliz Creek ranch near Hopland, where suspicious activity had been reported. They had left their car some distance from the house, and Deputy White was walking towards it when a ranch hand, 23, and the homeowner's son, 27, opened fire from outside the home. Deputy White was fatally wounded but managed to return fire, seriously wounding the owner's son. The game warden, who was walking to the home from a different direction, did not hear the shots. The ranch hand ran a mile to a phone at a store and informed the county sheriff about what had happened.

Both said they saw the car stop several yards from the home, and the lights turned off. They said it was very dark and mistook Deputy White for a prowler and opened fire. Both were charged with murder, but the charges were later reduced to manslaughter. On October 1, 1950, their trial ended with a hung jury. There was never a new trial, and the charges were dismissed.

Deputy White had served with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office for four years. He was survived by his wife, four children, and three brothers. One of his brothers served with the California Highway Patrol.