Deputy Sheriff William Henry Rafford

William Henry Rafford

Deputy Sheriff William Rafford was shot and killed when he went to the home of a man to serve a civil court summons at a farm in Aquebogue, New York.

Deputy Rafford entered the suspect's home and presented him with a court summons. The suspect went into another room and when he returned he shot Deputy Rafford twice with a double-barreled shotgun.

The man then dragged Deputy Rafford's body outside. When other deputies arrived, the suspect refused to surrender. All the windows of the suspect's home were broken by deputies in an effort to freeze the suspect out. After an overnight standoff, the suspect surrendered. The suspect was later judged to be insane by the Lunacy Commission and sent to the Matteawan State Hospital for Insane Criminals.

Deputy Rafford was a military veteran. He had served with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office for 15 years and also served as the warden for the Suffolk County Jail at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife and three children.