Roll of Honor

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Sheriff

William A. Phoenix

Amador County Sheriff's Department — Jackson, CA

Felonious

End of Watch August 12, 1855

Age 32

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

The Vigil Panel 2 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sheriff Phoenix was shot and killed in Tuolumne County after having chased several Mexican bandits from Amador County who had raided, sacked, and killed six citizens in Drytown. The incident became known as the Rancheria Massacre. Twenty Mexicans were later captured and lynched, though most if not all had nothing to do with the massacre. Sheriff Phoenix was killed near Chinese Camp. He was the first sheriff of Amador County.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-D2FA04BB
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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Tributes

171 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Phoenix gave the Amador County Sheriff's Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Jackson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Amador County Sheriff's Department

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Jackson, Amador County, CA

Platform Identity acso.amador.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 12, 1855

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Sheriff William A. Phoenix 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 97,772 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%.

Amador County Sheriff's Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William A. Phoenix's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How William A. Phoenix Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William A. Phoenix is highlighted in Aug.

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. William A. Phoenix was killed by gun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Amador County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.