Dighton Lewis Little

San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office — French Camp, CA

Felonious

End of Watch October 20, 1989

Age 35

The Vigil Panel 135 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Dighton Little was shot and killed while serving a narcotics-related warrant as a member of his department's SWAT team. The SWAT team was assisting deputies from Stanislaus County who had executed a search warrant several days earlier and recovered a weapon. While outside of the suspect's trailer on Highway 99, in Ripon, he was shot in the head with a high powered rifle fired through a window. The suspect was then shot and killed by other officers. Deputy Little was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-27301E1F
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Little served with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the French Camp community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Little.

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

Agency

Department San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office

Location French Camp, CA

Platform Identity sjcso.sanjoaquin.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 20, 1989

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .30-.06

Offender Shot and killed

Deputy Sheriff Dighton Lewis Little 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 Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office

of 5 officers

80% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious