Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Pickett was shot and killed after he stopped a suspect drunk driver on the state highway in Berenda. As Officer Pickett spoke to the driver, the passenger pulled a handgun and shot Officer Pickett twice in the chest, killing him. The suspects were a pair of criminals who had been traveling around the state committing armed robberies and thefts. They were arrested about ten hours later. One of the suspects was sentenced to life and the second suspect was sentenced to death. He was hung at San Quentin State Prison on January 9, 1925.
Survivors
Officer Pickett was survived by his wife of three weeks and his mother, brother and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-F945122C- 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.
Traffic Officer Pickett served with the Madera County State Traffic Force.
Thank you for your service to the Madera community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Traffic Officer Pickett.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Traffic Officer Clarence M. Pickett 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clarence M. Pickett's cause is highlighted.
How Clarence M. Pickett Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed in 1925
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clarence M. Pickett is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Clarence M. Pickett was killed by handgun.