EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — In El Dorado County, the sheriff's deputies rarely die while on the line of duty.
Deputy Sheriff Brian Ishmael was the first deputy to die in a shooting while on-duty in 155 years. Ismael was shot on Oct. 23 while responding to a report of a theft at a marijuana farm.
Looking back in the history of the department through Officer Down Memorial Page, it is clear how rare it is for a deputy to die while on-duty in El Dorado County.
The last person to die from a gunshot wound was Deputy Sheriff Joseph Staples. He was killed on July 1, 1864, according to Officer Down Memorial Page.
Staples was shot when he and a constable were trying to arrest six men in the town of Somerset. According to the page, those men were wearing Confederate uniforms and were suspected of robbing two stagecoaches.
Between the two shootings, two other officers died while on duty, according to Officer Down Memorial Page.
Deputy Sheriff Michael L. Cole died after crashing into a tree in 1991. Cole was on his way to respond to a call about livestock on the road Feb. 26.
Deputy Sheriff Ora Clyde Owen, Jr. was hit by a car Oct. 22, 1961 while setting out flares for an accident in which he was involved. He and other deputies were waiting for California Highway Patrol (CHP) and a tow truck when a drunk driver crashed into him.
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