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Constable

William Stewart Mettler

Kern County Sheriff's Office — Bakersfield, CA
Felonious
United States flag California flag
End of Watch November 6, 1873
The Vigil Panel 14 · Column 3 · Line 15 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 27

Incident

Constable William Mettler was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant near Tehachapi. The man who killed him was a member of a gang of desperados whose leader was Tiburcio Vasquez, one of California's most notorious bandits. A member of the gang shot and killed Constable William H. Hardmount of the Monteray Constable's Office on September 2, 1854. The gang roamed Southern California, robbing and killing from 1854 until 1874 when Vasquez was captured. Vasquez, who blamed all the murders on members of his gang, was hanged in 1875.

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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

153 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Mettler served with the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Bakersfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Kern County Sheriff's Office
Type Sheriff's Office
Location Bakersfield, Kern County, CA
Platform Identity kcso.kern.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 6, 1873
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

William is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1873, 28 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 157th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
III

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, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
IV

His people

Kern County Sheriff's Office has 28 officers remembered here, William among them.

Across the years

Constable William Stewart Mettler

Kern County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch November 6, 1873

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 43-W

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