Roll of Honor

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Officer

Ray Q. Mills

Fortuna Police Department — Fortuna, CA

Felonious

End of Watch March 12, 1967

Age 32

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo

Badge 64

The Vigil Panel 102 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Officer Ray Mills was assisting another officer who had stopped a car on Northbound Highway 101 just north of Fortuna when he was struck and fatally injured by a drunk driver. After hitting Officer Mills, the drunk driver continued without stopping. Additional officers pursued the drunk driver until he was arrested about one mile north of the scene. Officer Mills was transported to Redwood Memorial Hospital where he died at approximately 3:37 a.m. The 22-year-old driver was charged with drunk driving, hit-and-run, and manslaughter. A year later a jury convicted him only of misdemeanor manslaughter. Officer Mills had served with the Fortuna Police Department for just over a year and a half.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-7E8BCE7D
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

You barely got started.
Officer Mills gave the Fortuna Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Fortuna community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Mills.

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

Agency

Department Fortuna Police Department

Location Fortuna, CA

Platform Identity fpd.humboldt.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 12, 1967

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo

Age 32

Badge Number 64

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Convicted of manslaughter

Officer Ray Q. Mills 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%.

Fortuna Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ray Q. Mills's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Ray Q. Mills Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

1.7

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Convicted of manslaughter

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ray Q. Mills is highlighted in Mar.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Ray Q. Mills was killed by automobile; alcohol involved.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518