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Frederick G. Cleveland
Deputy Sheriff

Frederick G. Cleveland

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — Monterey Park, CA
Felonious
United States flag California flag
End of Watch March 7, 1920
Age 31
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
The Vigil Panel 87 · Column 2 · Line 6 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Department 119

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Harry Cleveland succumbed to injuries sustained on September 22nd, 1918, while transporting two robbery suspects to Los Angeles.

He and his partner had responded to the El Monte area to search for a vehicle involved in several robberies in Los Angeles County and Riverside County earlier in the evening. They had received reports that the car was driving toward El Monte. They observed the vehicle on Valley Boulevard near the El Monte Bridge and attempted to stop it. The vehicle turned onto a side road and initially attempted to flee, but then came to a stop.

The occupants of the vehicle, a father and two adult sons, had committed the robberies and were also responsible for numerous automobile thefts. While the deputies disarmed the two sons the father was able to conceal his pistol in the front seat of his car. After searching the father, it was determined that Deputy Cleveland would ride in the back seat of the suspects' vehicle with the two sons in the front. The deputy followed in the patrol car with the father as a passenger. After driving a short distance, the son in the front passenger seat grabbed the hidden gun and shot at Deputy Cleveland, slightly wounding him. A violent struggle over the gun ensued in which Deputy Cleveland shot the subject in the leg four times.

As the two struggled the other brother picked up a heavy piece of metal and hit Deputy Cleveland in the head with it several times.

When the cars came to a stop the other deputy immediately exited his car with a shotgun and shot the wounded brother in the face, wounding him. The father then came to the car, grabbed Deputy Cleveland's pistol, and ordered the deputy to drop his shotgun. Instead of dropping his gun, the deputy fired from the hip and killed the father. The second son then surrendered.

Both sons were convicted of numerous robberies and sentenced to one year to life in prison. They were both released from prison on May 11th, 1922 and completed parole in 1923. They were never charged with Deputy Cleveland's murder.

Deputy Cleveland never recovered from the head injuries and died as a result on March 7th, 1920.

Deputy Cleveland had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for three years.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Cleveland gave the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Cleveland.

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

Agency

Department Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Type Other
Location Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, CA
Platform Identity lacso.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 7, 1920
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Assault
Weapon Blunt object

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Frederick 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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1920, 209 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 9th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Frederick was 31. 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. Frederick had served 3 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%. 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 blunt object, in 1.2% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Frederick among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Deputy Sheriff Frederick G. Cleveland

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department · End of Watch March 7, 1920

Where the Name Is Cut

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