Officer Maroney was shot and killed while assisting Modoc County deputies arrest an ex-convict. Two days earlier the suspect had been released from the Oregon State Penitentiary where he served a sentence for rape. When his victim reported that he was at her home, Officer Maroney responded there with deputies. As officers approached, the suspect opened fire with a rifle. Officer Maroney ducked behind a power pole, but was hit by a bullet that went through the pole killing him instantly. The suspect then shot and killed himself.
Officer Maroney was survived by his wife and three children