Two-time Walla Walla County chief deputy dies

A former chief deputy with the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office with a long law enforcement career died Monday, officials said.

John W. King, 61, joined the sheriff’s office in 2013 at the end of a career that started 40 years ago in California, when he was 20 at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in 1979.

He went on to work with the Fullerton Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration before joining the Los Angeles Police Department in 1989. He retired from there in 2013 as a lieutenant.

He then came to Walla Walla County, and though he stepped out of the position as chief deputy in 2015, he stayed on as a reserve and was ready to return in 2018 to fill in while the sheriff’s office found a new chief deputy.

Most recently, he was teaching FBI leadership classes, the sheriff’s office said.

“It is safe to say that the history above barely captures the tremendous service John selflessly gave over the last 41 years,” the sheriff’s office wrote when it shared news of his death. “Anyone who knew John was drawn to him; it was unavoidable. His vast knowledge and insight into all things was astounding.”

King enjoyed being outdoors, and was well-known at the YMCA, sheriff’s officials said. He was proud of his four children and the rest of his family.

“John, we know you are up in the mountains or out on the water doing what you love,” the sheriff’s office shared. “Your effect on Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office will last generations.”

This story was originally published October 1, 2019 at 11:15 AM.