Sheriff’s deputy dies after 31 years with department

A deputy of the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office has died after taking his own life, according to Sheriff William Ponce. Lieutenant William Poindexter, who served the department for 31 years, died in mid-February. A procession through the town of Parker was held last Wednesday to honor him.

Speaking to the La Paz County Board of Supervisors on February 21st, Ponce said that Poindexter was a law enforcement leader in his department.

“Lieutenant Bill Poindexter passed away this weekend, he took his own life,” Ponce told the Board. “We are saddened and if you see our people being somber, that is why, you’ll see that we are going through some rough times.”

Poindexter was well-known within the department, training newer officers and running the multi-agency Narcotics Task Force, which sought to remove dangerous drugs from the community by intercepting sales.

He moved to Parker in the early 90s where he met his wife Patricia, according to his Dignity Memorial obituary.

“Bill and Patty married in 1998. He became a father to Patty’s 2 young children, Tony and Lori. He was a Southern California man and brought the bright colored shorts with him which he wore even in the winter. He enjoyed music of the 1980s including the Beastie Boys, Beach Boys, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and Run DMC to name a few. He had an eclectic taste in music. He would often break out in song and end with an emphasized ‘HOMEBOY’. Bill had a passion for cooking and grilling. He was a fan of red meat and seafood. Bill would often take his family to the seafood buffet at the Rio in Las Vegas. He would come back from the buffet bar with a mound of crab legs and go back for seconds or thirds. He grilled almost nightly at his home.”

He was also a carpentry enthusiast, a fisherman, sports fan and road traveler.

District 2 Supervisor Duce Minor addressed the grief of the community in the meeting’s formal invocation.

“We have lost a good man who gave so many years of his life serving and protecting our community,” Minor prayed aloud. “We cannot understand such a loss. This morning we ask for you to walk with and support the family of Lieutenant William Poindexter and with his fellow officers and coworkers and all County staff who are feeling the loss of a work family member. We give you thanks for the life and service of Lieutenant Poindexter.”

Funeral arrangements will be announced by the Sheriff’s Department in due course.