Fatally Shot L.A. County Deputy Makes Three In One Week

Signal_W · 04-06-06, 01:25 PM

Sheriff's Deputy Paul Wilms, fatally shot himself accidentally while cleaning his weapon, in the Community Service Center at the department's Industry Station, authorities said today.

Paul Wilms was the third sheriff's deputy killed in a week.

The body of the 38-year-old man was discovered by a fellow deputy about 5 a.m. in an office at the facility in the 200 block of Hudson Avenue, said Deputy Oscar Butao of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

"This is the third deputy to die in the last seven days, and it's been kind of tough for us," Butao said.

On Tuesday morning, Deputy Maria Cecelia Rosa, 30, was fatally shot, apparently during a robbery attempt, outside a Long Beach residence as she was preparing to drive to work. No arrests have been reported.

And last Thursday, Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, was killed when his motorcycle crashed in Lancaster while he was in pursuit of a motorist.

Outside the Industry Station this morning, sheriff's Capt. Ray Peavy told reporters that investigators believe the latest death was accidental.

"He was cleaning his weapon," Peavy said. "We believe this probably occurred some time last night. During the course of cleaning his weapon it appears that a round was discharged and, at this point, it appears to be ... an accident"