William Kirchner

How they died

Deadly force

Deputy Dane Huffman shot William Kirchner after he reportedly pulled a handgun hidden in his wheelchair and shot his wife. Two days earlier, Kirchner's wife had filed a protection order after he'd threatened her with a gun. The Sheriff's Office had secured a mental commitment order for Kirchner and deputies searched for him all weekend. Shortly after 1:30 p.m., Kirchner's wife reported her husband had returned and deputies responded to the home. Kirchner, who'd lost a leg in a motorcycle accident five years earlier, was in a wheelchair and asked to put on his prosthetic leg before being taken into custody. Sgt. David Scheperle, Huffman and Kirchner's wife accompanied Kirchner into a bedroom. Kirchner allegedly pulled out a .45 caliber handgun that was hidden under a towel on the wheelchair and shot his wife. Huffman fired five shots as Kirchner was cocking the gun a second time, officials said. Kirchner was pronounced dead at a hospital. His wife was treated for a gunshot wound to her shoulder.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that William Kirchner, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources