THE SAD CASE OF DEPUTY DENNIS WALLACE

by Bob Walsh

Dennis Wallace was a Sheriff’s Deputy in Stanislaus County, California. He was by all accounts a good, well-liked man, popular in his community. Wallace lived and worked in the small community of Hughson. He coached soccer and was considered a pillar of the community.

Wallace was a 20-year veteran of the department several years ago when he lost his job due to a knee injury. The department’s reaction to him sparked a lot of bad feelings in the community when it was revealed the management of the Sheriff’s Department referred to injured employees as “limp, lame and lazy.” The Sheriff ended up having to make a public apology for that one.

Wallace eventually sued to get his job back. The case made it all the way to the California Supreme Court, which sent it back to a lower court. Appeals were won and lost, but eventually Wallace returned to duty while the fighting was still going on, about four years after the mess all started.

Early on Sunday he came up on a suspicious van. He called it in and it was reported as stolen. He requested backup. Sometime between his radio call and the request for backup he died from two contact-range pistol shots to the head. He was 53 years old.

Police have taken David Machado, 36, into custody on suspicion of his murder.