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Police Officer

Robert Franklin Gushe

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 4, 1916

Age 36

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 71 · Column 4 · Line 14 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 53

Incident

Police Officer Robert Gushe was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect. The man had just robbed another man at gunpoint on a city street. Officer Gushe caught up to the subject near Twelfth Street and Clay Street and approached him from behind. He tapped the man on the shoulder and told him he was under arrest. Without turning around, the subject reached around his left side and fired a round which struck Officer Gushe in the heart. The subject was arrested, convicted of Officer Gushe's murder, and sentenced to life at hard labor. He died in Folsom Prison on July 21, 1934. It was believed at the time that Officer Gushe's murderer had also murdered Officer Thomas Deasy, of the San Francisco Police Department, on January 8th, 1916, under similar circumstances. Officer Gushe was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the San Francisco Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Robert 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.
Police Officer Gushe gave the Oakland Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Oakland Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1916

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Robert Franklin Gushe served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Robert is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

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

Compare against

Time

In 1916, 155 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 24th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Robert was 36. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Robert had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded