William Benno Wolff III
Agency patch
Officer

William Benno Wolff III

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Felonious
End of Watch December 30, 1977
Age 32
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Badge 8342
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Wolff was struck and killed by a drunk driver while making a traffic stop. He had just completed issuing a citation and was returning to his cruiser when he was struck. The impact was so great that it knocked him over the vehicle he had stopped. The drunk driver was apprehended and charged with felony drunk driving. Officer Wolff had been with the agency for four years.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Wolff gave the California Highway Patrol 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Wolff.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 30, 1977
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 32
Badge Number 8342
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Felonious

William is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1977, 128 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 36th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

William was 32. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. William had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, William among them.

Across the years

Officer William Benno Wolff III

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch December 30, 1977

Where the Name Is Cut

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