Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office

End of Watch March 19, 2014

Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was killed in the line of duty on March 19, 2014. Earlier that day, law enforcement agencies across multiple states were searching for a suspect involved in a violent crime spree that began in Eugene, Oregon. The suspect was wanted in connection with a homicide, an armed robbery, and a carjacking during which a victim was forced into the trunk of a stolen vehicle. As the suspect fled south into California, he continued to endanger lives, exchanging gunfire with a business owner near Leggett and later leading officers on a high-speed pursuit along Highway 1, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before temporarily evading capture.

Deputy Del Fiorentino was part of the coordinated, multi-agency effort to locate the suspect and protect the public. During the ensuing manhunt, he located the suspect’s vehicle on a remote dirt road near Cleone, north of Fort Bragg. The suspect, who was heavily armed and wearing a ballistic vest, ambushed Deputy Del Fiorentino without warning, firing multiple rounds into his patrol car and fatally wounding him before he had the opportunity to exit the vehicle.

A nearby Fort Bragg police officer responded to the sound of gunfire and encountered the suspect at Deputy Del Fiorentino’s patrol car. A gun battle followed, and the suspect was wounded and later found deceased a short distance from the scene. He was found in possession of multiple assault-style weapons, bringing the violent incident to an end.

Deputy Del Fiorentino had served the communities of Mendocino County and Fort Bragg for 26 years with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Bragg Police Department. He was 48 years old at the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife Beth, his children and grandchildren, his parents, siblings, and loved ones whose lives were forever changed by his service and sacrifice.