Arthur W. Koch
Agency patch
Sergeant

Arthur W. Koch

Fairfield Police Department — Fairfield, CA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch July 29, 1984
Age 34
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 128 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Arthur Koch was shot and killed after being ambushed at the 600 block of Berkeley Way in Fairfield. At 6:20 p.m., Sergeant Koch responded to a shooting call in a residential neighborhood and had parked his car nearby. As he walked towards the scene, the suspect shot him with a high-powered rifle. He succumbed to his injuries approximately nine hours later at Intercommunity Hospital. Sergeant Koch had just been promoted and was shot on his last shift as a patrol officer. The suspect, 37, who barricaded himself in his home, surrendered seven hours later. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. He died in prison in 2017. Sergeant Koch was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran and had served five years with the Fairfield Police Department. He had previously served with the California Highway Patrol.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three children, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-7035A0E0
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Arthur is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Koch gave the Fairfield Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fairfield community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Fairfield, Solano County, CA
Platform Identity fpd.solano.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 29, 1984
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

Military Service

Arthur W. Koch served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1968–1972) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Arthur W. Koch is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Fairfield Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
CA — Statewide
974
of 1,837 officers
53% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Arthur W. Koch's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Arthur W. Koch Compares

Age at Death
34
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Arthur W. Koch is highlighted in Jul.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Arthur W. Koch was killed by rifle.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

Arthur W. Koch served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1968–1972) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Arthur W. Koch’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Fairfield Police Department are honored on badge.nw.