Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff William Pascoe was shot and killed by an escaped convict in downtown Grass Valley at approximately 10:00 pm. Sheriff Pascoe and a constable were following a man suspected of being involved in a previous shooting. As they walked down Main Street, near Auburn Street, the subject ducked into the yard of a foundry. As Sheriff Pascoe followed him, the man suddenly shot him without saying a word and then fled on foot. The subject was later captured. He was hanged in San Quentin Prison for a murder he committed in San Francisco. Sheriff Pascoe had served with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office for seven months and had previously served as the marshal of Grass Valley for four years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and eight children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-0C5E5CC9- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
133 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Pascoe gave the Nevada County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nevada City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff William H. Pascoe is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At Nevada County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William H. Pascoe's cause is highlighted.
How William H. Pascoe Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed for another murder
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William H. Pascoe is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William H. Pascoe was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Nevada County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
