Officer Wallace J. Muscovich was off duty and walking on Franklin Street near 10th on April 16, 1944 when he heard a gunshot. He saw a man run out of a second-hand clothing store, stop, turn, and fire a round at the proprietor. The proprietor fell to the ground. The shooter ran south on Franklin followed by a young woman. Muscovich commandeered a passing car, jumped on the running board, and gave chase. He lost sight of the woman, but followed the suspect to a hotel, and confronted him in the second floor hallway.
Muscovich, described as a crack shot, fired three times at the armed suspect and dropped him. The suspect was able to fire twice at Muscovich, hitting him both times. The officer and the suspect were transported to Highland Hospital, and Oakland P.D. officers conducted an intense search for the female.
Investigators soon established that the suspect had attempted to rob the clothing store, and that his female accomplice was an escapee from a state institution.
Muscovich received massive blood transfusions from his brother officers. He hovered between life and death for a week, finally succumbing to his wounds on April 23. He was survived by his wife and 8-year-old son.
A native of Vilna, Poland, Muscovich was appointed to the Oakland Police Department as an “emergency patrolman” in June 1943; that is, he was a replacement for a regular officer who had been called into service for the war effort. He was a former professional wrestler who went by the name of “Ivan Managoff.”
Sergeant Forest M. Underwood was shot and killed by a criminal wanted for kidnapping and robbery. Underwood, 41, was writing a parking citation when a taxi abruptly pulled along side. The driver jumped out, shouting excitedly that a robber was inside his cab. The suspect immediately opened fire, felling Underwood with two shots. Though mortally wounded, the patrol officer returned fire but his shots missed his assailant. While he lay dying, Underwood noted the license number of the getaway car and a description of the murderer at the bottom of the parking citation he had been writing.
Officer Forrest C. Gerken was on motorcycle patrol nearing the intersection of Oak Grove Avenue and the Bay Shore Highway when the driver of a pickup truck turned across the corner of an intersection and crashed head-on into the patrolman. Officer Gerken was killed instantly. Gerken had entered the Patrol in 1942 and died just two days before his 46th birthday. He served on the Bay Bridge prior to transferring to San Mateo. Officer Forrest Gerken’s son is retired CHP Officer Cliff Gerken (3778).
Officer Nelson S. Dwelly was patrolling with CHP Officer J.C. Glass when Glass saw the wheel of Dwelly’s motorcycle start to wobble and then the motorcycle turned over several times with Dwelly still in the seat. The 37-year-old patrol officer had been a member of the CHP for less than one year.
Sergeant George E. Ellis, Jr. was killed by a reckless driver who ran a stop sign and crashed into the side of Ellis’ patrol unit, striking it with such force that the patrol car was knocked 148 feet and rolled twice from the point of impact. A Sacramento County grand jury indicted the driver on charges of negligent homicide.
