Sheriff killed by avalanche - How ironic!

Christopher Allport, who played Sam the Sheriff, was killed by an avalanche.

According to IMDB.com:

American TV star Christopher Allport has died in an avalanche while snowboarding in California. The 60-year-old actor is the third person to die after a trio of freak avalanches caused by snowstorms ripped through the West Coast of America. The veteran actor, who was a huge fan of skiing, was found near the Mountain High Ski resort in Wrightwood, California. Allport had appeared in many of TV's most popular series, including ER, Felicity and Matlock. In a bizarre twist, the actor had once warned about the dangers of skiing in a newspaper article, saying, "Any excursion into the mountains requires awareness. Have fun, but be careful." The other two victims were named as Michael McKay, 23, an off-duty member of the resort's patrol team, and Darin Coffey, 31. Both were allegedly skiing outside the resort's strict boundaries.