Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective Kent Haws was shot and killed while investigating suspicious activity in the area of Avenue 344 and Road 156 near Ivanhoe at approximately 1:40 p.m.
Detective Haws was driving south on Road 156, just north of Road 344 when he saw a car parked next to an orange grove on the east side of the road. Detective Haws made a U-turn and pulled behind the car to investigate. As he talked to the car’s occupants, he saw a man in the orchard. Sending the occupants of the car on their way, he told sheriff’s dispatch he was checking a man in the orchard. Once out of the grove, the man pulled a semi-automatic firearm and fired an unknown number of shots, striking Detective Haws.
Several passersby, seeing the officer on the ground, used cell phones and stopped at nearby homes to call for help. One passerby, a nurse, stopped and began to give Detective Haws first aid until EMS arrived. Detective Haws was taken by ambulance, escorted by California Highway Patrol vehicles, to Kaweah Delta Hospital in Visalia, where he died at 3:20 pm.
A suspect was taken into custody later in the afternoon, still in possession of the murder weapon when he was apprehended. The suspect was charged and was finally found guilty of murder on August 28, 2012, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Detective Haws had served with the Tulare County Sheriff's Office for 10 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, three young children, mother, brother, sister, and stepfather.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-C24D9349- 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.
Detective Haws gave the Tulare County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Visalia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Haws.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Kent Haws 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 Tulare County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 16 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 31.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kent Haws's cause is highlighted.
How Kent Haws Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Kent Haws is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Kent Haws was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
15 officers from Tulare County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
