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Police Officer

Eugene Edgar McKnight

Sacramento Police Department — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch July 23, 1963

Age 38

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

The Vigil Panel 216 · Column 3 · Line 20 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 16

Incident

Officer Eugene McKnight was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend two suspects who had robbed a market. Officer McKnight, who was off duty, was shopping with his wife when the robbery took place. As the suspects fled from the store he followed and grabbed one of them. As the two struggled the suspect pulled a pistol and shot Officer McKnight through his neck. Minutes later a state trooper captured both suspects. Both suspects were convicted of first degree murder on January 24th, 1964. The gunman was sentenced to death. In 1971 his sentence was commuted to life. The other suspect was sentenced to life but was awarded a new trial in which he was cleared of the murder charge and convicted of armed robbery. Officer McKnight was a U.S Marine Corps veteran of WWII and had served with the Sacramento Police Department for 16 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
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. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Eugene 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 McKnight gave the Sacramento Police Department 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sacramento 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 Sacramento Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

Platform Identity spd.sacramento.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 23, 1963

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Eugene Edgar McKnight served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Eugene 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 1963, 71 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 100th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Eugene was 38. 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. Eugene had served 16 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

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