Louis V. Wyckoff
Sheriff

Louis V. Wyckoff

Cardiac
End of Watch January 20, 1882
Age 52
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
The Vigil Panel 7 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sheriff Wyckoff suffered a fatal heart attack after his jail was invaded by an angry mob who lynched several prisoners for a murder the previous day. The citizens held down Sheriff Wyckoff and his deputies as they took the prisoners to nearby gallows. After hanging the first two prisoners they returned to the jail to get the inmate being held for the murder of Seattle Police Officer David Sires the previous year. The men also took this suspect and hanged. Shortly afterwards Sheriff Wyckoff suffered a fatal heart attack.

Survivors

Sheriff Wyckoff had served as Sheriff for 19 years and was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

144 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Wyckoff gave the King County Sheriff's Office 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Seattle community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Seattle, King County, WA
Platform Identity kingso.king.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1882
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Louis is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

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

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1882, 1 officer in the United States was lost to cardiac events, the 122nd heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Louis was 52. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Louis had served 19 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 9.6% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Fridays: 15.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

King County Sheriff's Office has 18 officers remembered here, Louis among them.

Sheriff Louis V. Wyckoff

King County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch January 20, 1882

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-W

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