David M. Sires
Agency patch
Special Police Officer

David M. Sires

Seattle Police Department — Seattle, WA
Felonious
End of Watch October 16, 1881
Age 55
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Special Police Officer David Sires was shot and killed while patrolling the area of Occidental Street and Washington Street. He was attempting to arrest a male who had been kicked out of a saloon. This man then began firing a revolver into the ground. After being shot, Officer Sires was able to identify the man before he died. The male was arrested but he was lynched by an angry mob who broke into the jail while he was awaiting trial. During the lynching, Sheriff Louis Wyckoff of the King County Sheriff's Department suffered a fatal heart attack. He and his deputies had been attacked by the mob and held down while the prisoners were hung. Officer Sires was the first Seattle police officer to be killed in the line of duty. He had served with his Seattle Police Department for two years and was survived by his wife, two daughters, and six siblings. He is buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle.

Survivors

He had served with his Seattle Police Department for two years and was survived by his wife, two daughters, and six siblings.

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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Tributes

145 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Special Police Officer Sires gave the Seattle Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Seattle community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Seattle, King County, WA
Platform Identity seatpd.king.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 16, 1881
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 55
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

David 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1881, 55 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 134th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

David was 55. 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. David had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

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
V

His people

Seattle Police Department has 60 officers remembered here, David among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Special Police Officer David M. Sires

Seattle Police Department · End of Watch October 16, 1881

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 12-W

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