11/12/2025
An old friend gone too soon.
Shortly after 1:55 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2008, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department’s Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from an apartment resident stating that an accident had occurred in front of her residence and that a Rancho Cordova motor unit had been involved. When emergency personnel arrived, civilians rendered life-saving efforts on Deputy Lawrence Canfield. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his traumatic injuries.
Larry Canfield (age 43), a second-generation Deputy Sheriff, was assigned to the motor unit in the contract city of Rancho Cordova in 2004. On this particular day, he had been assigned to traffic enforcement on Coloma Road. Witnesses stated Deputy Canfield had his lights and siren on and attempted to overtake a speeding vehicle when another vehicle turned in front of him. His motorcycle struck the front passenger side of the vehicle. The motorcycle and rider slid along the roadway, and the rider impacted a nearby traffic sign, causing severe injuries. Pieces of the motorcycle were strewn throughout the roadway.
Deputy Larry Canfield, a 13-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, is survived by his wife and two sons. He is also survived by his father, retired Sacramento Sheriff’s Sergeant Robert Canfield. 💙
