Archives: Fallen Officers

J.W. Shuman

Officer J. W. Shuman accidentally shot and fatally wounded himself as he was repairing his service revolver in a room used as an armory in the CHP office. Shuman evidently believed he had taken out all of the cartridges from his revolver when he began inspecting the action of the pistol. Investigators found the partially dismantled revolver, pistol cleaning implements, a screwdriver and five cartridges lying on a low counter. The 36-year-old patrolman died two hours later without regaining consciousness. Officer Shuman was a member of the CHP for six years.

Frank D. De War

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy of Special Anti-Gangster Duty Frank De War was flying home from Bakersfield after investigating a lead in a kidnapping case. The veteran pilot flew low, under the clouds of a pending storm. About 20 minutes into the flight, visibility was zero and the pilot decided to turn around, but misjudged the terrain, scraping the underbelly of the airplane and igniting the fuel tanks. All eight passengers died in the resulting inferno. It took a week to locate the wreckage. Chief Deputy De War, a veteran of World War I, was honored by 2,000 mourners, including state and local dignitaries and American and Canadian veterans. The colorful mix of uniforms, green next to red, was led by plaid kilt clad pipers.

Burt Reeves

Sergeant Burt Reeves was patrolling in heavy Sunday traffic when his motorcycle was forced off a Marin County highway and he was thrown to the ground. Reeves was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries four days later. He had been a patrolman for six years and served as acting commander of the Mann Squad during the absence of the Captain. Sergeant Reeves was also a World War I veteran.

Osborn A. Lyon

In the early Sunday morning hours of Aug. 19, 1931, Motorcycle Officer Osborn A. Lyon was patrolling the streets of East Oakland. While on Foothill Boulevard, he observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed and gave chase. When he reached the intersection of 67th Avenue and Foothill, he sideswiped a truck and was thrown to the street, sustaining severe injuries and loss of blood. Despite the efforts of medical personnel and blood transfusions, Lyon lost his fight for life at 7 a.m.

Lyon, 29, joined the Oakland Police Department on Aug. 1, 1929. He had just transferred to the Traffic Bureau. He was survived by a wife and child.

Ralph A. Morgan

Officer Ralph A. Morgan was shot and killed on July 13, 1931, after he and his partner stopped a stolen vehicle, and a terrific gun battle took place between the two officers and the two suspects.

Morgan’s partner was wounded, one suspect was killed, and the other suspect committed suicide.