Joseph Clark

Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department — Yreka, CA

Felonious

End of Watch August 30, 1936

Age 65

Tour of Duty 40 yrs

The Vigil Panel 72 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Constable Joseph Clark and Deputy Sheriff Martin Lange were shot and killed at a mining camp near Yreka by two brothers while attempting to arrest them for assaulting a citizen earlier in the evening. The citizen, who was accompanying the officers, was also shot and killed. Another man with them escaped. Both brothers fled into the mountains. Two weeks later the suspects came down from the mountains and surrendered to the sheriff. They said they opened fire on the officers because they thought they were robbers. Both suspects were convicted of three counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death on December 22, 1936. Their sentences were later commuted to life. Both brothers were paroled September 18th, 1951.

Survivors

Constable Clark was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

40 years. You could have gone home.
Constable Clark gave the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department 40 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Yreka community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Clark.

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

Agency

Department Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department

Location Yreka, CA

Platform Identity scso.siskiyou.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 30, 1936

Tour of Duty 40 yrs

Age 65

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .30-.30

Offender Paroled in 1951

Constable Joseph Clark 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 Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department, 4 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department

of 8 officers

50% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious