Michael Arthur Coleman

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

Felonious

End of Watch March 25, 1982

Age 30

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 125 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Deputy Michael Coleman was shot and killed while serving a narcotics search warrant with two narcotics agents. He was shot by the suspect who opened fire from inside the house through the open front door. Deputy Coleman was wearing a vest but the round entered through his arm. The agents returned fire seriously wounding the suspect. Deputy Coleman's father, who worked as the department's range master, suffered a fatal heart attack while being rushed to the hospital to see his son. He died in a hospital bed next to his son in the emergency room. The suspect, a 31 year-old woman, was convicted of Deputy Coleman's murder and sentenced to life in prison. As of December 3, 2022, she was in prison. Deputy Coleman's uncle and two cousins also served as deputies with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-AC9BD691
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 Coleman gave the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the French Camp community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Coleman.

— 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 March 25, 1982

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; 9 mm

Offender Sentenced to life

Deputy Sheriff Michael Arthur Coleman 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