Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Will Ward succumbed to wounds sustained when he was beaten while transporting a prisoner to San Quentin Prison on the steamer Santa Rosa. Deputy Ward was attacked by the man as the steamer was docked at Port Harford in San Luis Obispo County. The inmate beat him over the head with a heavy water bottle and them jumped overboard in an escape attempt. The man was taken into custody by a Santa Barbara County deputy who was on the ship. Deputy Ward was taken to the San Luis Obispo County Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds 16 days later. The suspect was convicted of murder and hanged at San Quentin Prison the following year.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-16D09B62- 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
127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Ward served with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Diego community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Will Ward 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 San Diego County Sheriff's Department, 6 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 54.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Will Ward's cause is highlighted.
How Will Ward Compares
Offender Outcome
Hanged
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Will Ward is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Will Ward was killed by person.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
10 officers from San Diego County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
