Roll of Honor

Prev Next

Officer

Loren D. Scruggs

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 23, 1971

Age 35

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 3186

The Vigil Panel 108 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 232

Incident

Officer Loren Scruggs was shot and killed from ambush while conducting a traffic stop. He had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Betteravia Road, one mile east of Highway 101, near Santa Maria. As he talked to the driver, another man parked across the street and approached him. The man asked Officer Scruggs for directions and then suddenly pulled out a .22 caliber handgun and shot him. The suspect fled the scene but was later found after committing suicide. Officer Scruggs was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the California Highway Patrol for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-E01FD362
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Loren. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Loren is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

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.
Officer Scruggs gave the California Highway Patrol 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 23, 1971

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 35

Badge Number 3186

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Loren D. Scruggs served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Loren D. Scruggs 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%.

At California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious