Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy John McClain was shot and killed while serving court papers.
Deputy McClain went to a residence to serve a writ of restitution to the occupant who refused to vacate the premises. When he arrived, one of the occupants drew a handgun. Deputy McClain ordered the suspect to drop his weapon. The man refused and fatally shot Deputy McClain in the head.
Deputy McClain had served with the Colusa County Sheriff's Department for 10 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-EA9D1189- 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
156 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy McClain gave the Colusa County Sheriff's Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Colusa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy John A. McClain 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 Colusa County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John A. McClain's cause is highlighted.
How John A. McClain Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John A. McClain is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Colusa County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
