Paul John Gillen
Agency patch
Commander

Paul John Gillen

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA
Veteran → Accident
End of Watch May 29, 1974
Age 49
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Badge 6435
Gender Male

Incident

Commander Paul Gillen was killed in a police helicopter crash during a training exercise. He was the highest ranking member of his agency to be killed in the line of duty.

Commander Gillen was a U.S Navy veteran of WWII and had served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 25 years.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy, salute.nw. One record, 3 gates. Paul is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Commander Gillen gave the Los Angeles Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA
Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 29, 1974
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 49
Badge Number 6435
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Paul John Gillen served in the U.S. Navy (1943–1944) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Accident

Paul is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1974, 98 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 9th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Paul was 49. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Paul had served 25 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Los Angeles Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Paul among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Commander Paul John Gillen

Los Angeles Police Department · End of Watch May 29, 1974

Military Service

Paul John Gillen served in the U.S. Navy (1943–1944) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Paul John Gillen’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 22-E

Also Remembered

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