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Correctional Officer

Jose Rivera

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons — Washington, DC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch June 20, 2008

Age 22

Tour of Duty 10 mo

The Vigil Panel 349 · Column 3 · Line 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 33

Incident

Location: California Weapon: Edged weapon; Shank Offender: Sentenced to life

Correctional Officer Jose Rivera was stabbed to death by two inmates at United States Penitentiary Atwater in Atwater, California. The inmates stabbed Officer Rivera with homemade knives as he was locking cell doors in preparation for the 4:00 pm headcount.

Other officers immediately responded to the location and restrained both suspects. Officer Rivera was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds several hours later.

One inmate, serving a life sentence for a third robbery, was convicted of murder and received a new life sentence. The other inmate, serving a life sentence for murder, is to be tried in April of 2015.

One of the inmates who murdered Officer Rivera had been implicated, but never charged, in the murder of Correctional Officer Douglas Mashburn of the Guam Department of Corrections on June 24th, 1987.

Officer Rivera was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for only 10 months.

Survivors

He is survived by his mother, two sisters, and brother.

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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Jose 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.
Correctional Officer Rivera served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 20, 2008

Tour of Duty 10 mo

Age 22

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Shank

Military Service

Jose Rivera served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Jose 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 2008, 65 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 113th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Jose was 22. 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. Jose had served 0.8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

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 edged weapon; shank, in 0.1% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded