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Officer

Earl Harwood Scott

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch February 17, 2006

Age 36

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 343 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 233

Incident

Officer Earl Scott was shot and killed while making a traffic stop Northbound Highway 99 south of Hammett Road in Salida at approximately 4:30 AM.

Officer Scott stopped a vehicle that he had observed speeding on northbound Highway 99. Officer Scott approached the vehicle and obtained the registration card from the driver. As Officer Scott walked back to his patrol car the suspect opened fire, fatally shooting him in the head.

A passing motorist, who was also heading north, saw the officer falling to the ground and the suspect's car speeding away. The witness exited the freeway and turned around, returning to the scene where he called authorities on a cell phone. When backup officers arrived they were able to identify the suspect's car by the registration that was still in Officer Scott's hand.

The officers were able to find the suspect by identifying the car. He was arrested and charged with murder, although he claimed that his car was stolen and he hadn't committed the crime. The suspect had an extensive criminal record, including arrests for robbery and assaulting a police officer. In August 2010 he plead guilty to Officer Scott's murder and was convicted and sentenced to life in prison plus three years without the possibility of parole; he cannot appeal this conviction as part of the plea agreement.

Officer Scott had served with the California Highway Patrol for five years. He is survived by his father, stepmother, and sister. His father and two uncles retired as sergeants from the California Highway Patrol. One of Officer Scott's cousins currently serves as a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol.

Survivors

He is survived by his father, stepmother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Scott gave the California Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Scott.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 17, 2006

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Earl is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2006, 72 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 98th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Earl was 36. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Earl had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

February holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun; unknown type, in 9.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded