On this day, April 6, in 1970, four California Highway Patrol officers were gunned down in one of America’s deadliest police massacres. Minutes after stopping a driver in unincorporated Los Angeles County for waving a handgun at another motorist, Officers Walt Farco, Roger Gore, George Alleyn and James Pence were dead at the hands of heavily armed violent felons Jack Twinning and Bobby Davis.
A civilian, Gary Kness, tried to rescue a fallen officer and even used the man’s weapon to return fire at Twinning and Davis before retreating.
Davis was arrested three hours later, and Twinning committed suicide the next day after releasing several people he had been holding hostage.
The Newhall massacre forever changed police tactics for approaching felony suspects and led to the use of improved weaponry and bulletproof vests.
Scott McCabe
