Officer William Chandler Bean Jr., 28, a Sacramento Police Department officer, was shot and killed on February 9, 1999, during a traffic stop. He and his partner, Officer David Hogge, signaled a vehicle for a stop; the car briefly pulled over, then drove off and was followed in a low-speed pursuit that ended when the vehicle became disabled near Knightlinger Street and South Avenue. As Officer Bean exited the patrol car to approach the driver, the suspect opened fire, striking Bean multiple times. One bullet entered through an armhole in his body armor; Bean was taken to UC Davis Medical Center and pronounced dead.

The suspect fled on foot; a manhunt ended several hours later when he was found hiding under an air-conditioning unit in a nearby backyard. A 9 mm pistol believed to be the shooting weapon was recovered. The suspect, identified as Dundell Wright, was charged with homicide and later convicted of second-degree murder. Wright was sentenced on December 18, 2003, to life without the possibility of parole.

Bean had served eight years with the Sacramento Police Department and previously worked as a deputy with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. About 5,000 fellow officers, friends, and dignitaries attended his funeral. Does anyone have memories of Officer Bean or information about the incident that could add context to the timeline?