The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office is celebrating its 175th anniversary by recognizing its first sheriff, Joseph McKinney, who started his term on April 1, 1850. A post from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office notes that McKinney won the election by a large margin and established his office at Sutter's Fort, an important site during the Gold Rush.
During McKinney's time in office, there was a conflict known as the "squatters' riots," involving land disputes between settlers and the government. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office described this period as one of "rapid expansion, lawlessness, and violent disputes." On August 14, 1850, the conflict escalated when the City Assessor was killed in an incident that involved McKinney. The following day, McKinney led a group of twenty deputies to confront squatters who were staying in a house in the Brighton settlement.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on their Facebook page, Sheriff Joseph McKinney was fatally shot during a standoff with squatters, becoming the first law enforcement officer in Sacramento County to die in the line of duty. The Sheriff's Office is marking its 175th anniversary by sharing weekly tributes on their social media, honoring McKinney and other past sheriffs, and reflecting on key events that have shaped the agency’s history.
