Officer

Cornelius Brosnan

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Accident
End of Watch November 15, 1937
Age 52
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Cornelius Brosnan was killed when he was hit by an automobile at 21st Avenue and Geary Street while on duty. The driver was charged with reckless driving and negligent homicide.

Officer Brosnan served 30 years with the San Francisco Police Department. In 1917, he won Meritorious Service Recognition for his bravery.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

30 years. You could have gone home.
Officer Brosnan gave the San Francisco Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Brosnan.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Francisco, CA
Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 15, 1937
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Cornelius is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1937, 95 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 10th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Cornelius was 52. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Cornelius had served 30 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

November holds 8.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

San Francisco Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Cornelius among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Cornelius Brosnan

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch November 15, 1937

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 17-W

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