PPOA Executive Director
wquint@ppoa.com
Deputy Jack D. Williams, Badge No. 3585, a PPOA member, was shot and killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, May 29, 1979, in the city of La Puente when he was attempting to serve a “Narco” search warrant on a drug trafficker. Deputy Williams and Deputy Bobby Esquivel heroically volunteered to take the front door entry in serving the warrant. The suspect fired a shotgun that killed Deputy Williams, who was only 35. Deputy Esquivel shot the suspect three times, but the suspect survived and is still appealing his death penalty sentence.
Esquivel has stayed in touch with the Williams family since the 1979 murder that devastated Deputy Williams’ wife and two daughters, ages 12 and 11, when they lost their “entire world.” In late 2018, retired (1995) Deputy Esquivel contacted PPOA and requested assistance in attaining legislative approval for a memorial highway designation honoring Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Jack Williams. PPOA requested that our Sacramento lobbyist, John Lovell, navigate the very lengthy legislative process of making Bobby’s heartfelt and honorable request a reality. PPOA, Bobby, John and Senator Archuleta worked tirelessly to secure and obtain the two highway memorial signs for fallen hero Deputy Jack Williams.
On August 13, 2019, Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) No. 67 was introduced by California State Senator (32nd District) Bob Archuleta. PPOA was the sponsor of SCR 67, which would designate a portion of Interstate 605 between Alondra Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue in the County of Los Angeles as the Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Jack Williams Memorial Highway. The location of the signs was selected because Deputy Williams would commute from his house in Bellflower on the I-605 heading to and from his Industry Station Narcotics office. The measure was scheduled for final approval by the Legislature in early 2020. The Department of Transportation determined the cost of the appropriate signs, and PPOA was honored to cover all expenses associated with erecting the memorial signs. PPOA, along with the Department, had already scheduled the dedication ceremony of the two (N/B and S/B shoulders) memorial freeway signs on the 41st anniversary of Deputy Williams’ End of Watch on Friday, May 29, 2020.
The Resolution was unanimously passed, but not until March 2020. In April, due to the County of Los Angeles’ COVID-19 restrictions, the May 2020 dedication had to be postponed. Due to Capitol COVID-19 issues, the measure was finally filed by the secretary of state on June 11, 2020.
The memorial highway dedication ceremony, consistent with COVID-19 protocol, will now be on the 42nd anniversary of Deputy Williams’ End of Watch on Saturday, May 29, 2021, at the La Puente Community Center. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m.
On behalf of PPOA and the Sheriff’s Department, it is our sincere hope that collectively, we will make every attempt to attend this memorial dedication ceremony as we pay tribute to Deputy Williams’ ultimate sacrifice and to his family left behind. If you are unable to attend, please email your message regarding Deputy Jack Don Williams to info@ppoa.com, and we will forward them to the Williams family.