Sergeant Arthur W. Koch

Arthur W. Koch

Sergeant Arthur Koch was shot and killed after being ambushed at the 600 block of Berkeley Way in Fairfield.

At 6:20 p.m., Sergeant Koch responded to a shooting call in a residential neighborhood and had parked his car nearby. As he walked towards the scene, the suspect shot him with a high-powered rifle. He succumbed to his injuries approximately nine hours later at Intercommunity Hospital. Sergeant Koch had just been promoted and was shot on his last shift as a patrol officer.

The suspect, 37, who barricaded himself in his home, surrendered seven hours later. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. He died in prison in 2017.

Sergeant Koch was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran and had served five years with the Fairfield Police Department. He had previously served with the California Highway Patrol. He was survived by his wife, three children, and parents.