Dighton Lewis Little was a 35-year-old deputy with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office who was killed on October 20, 1989, in Ripon, California. A SWAT team member since joining the department in April 1979, he had served in Custody, Patrol and the Detective Division, working burglary, child-abuse and robbery/homicide investigations. He also took part in community activities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Joaquin County and the annual charity football game, the Bacon Bash.

On the day he died the San Joaquin County SWAT team was assisting a Stanislaus County narcotics task force to serve a high-risk search warrant at Bob’s Truck Stop on Highway 99. The team split to search several buildings on the three-acre property. Deputy Little was positioned outside a travel trailer when a high-powered rifle was fired through a window and struck him in the head. The shooter was then shot and killed by other officers at the scene. Deputy Little was taken to a hospital and later died; he was buried in San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery in Stockton.

Does anyone have memories of Deputy Little or information about the operation at Bob’s Truck Stop that day?