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Officer

Albert W. Argens

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
United States flag California flag
End of Watch February 21, 1937
Age 32
The Vigil Panel 72 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Officer Argens was shot and fatally wounded after a man acting irrationally took his gun. Officer Argens observed the suspect mumbling to himself and walking out in front of traffic in a downtown shopping district. Officer Argens took the suspect to a call box and called for a patrol wagon to pick them up. While Officer Argens was calling for the wagon the suspect grabbed the officer’s gun and shot and killed him. Several civilians chased the suspect down the block, where he commandeered a truck and shot the driver. The suspect then jumped onto the running board to a limousine, where a civilian grabbed him and took the gun from his hand. Officer Argens died in a hospital four days later. The truck driver, 23, was admitted in a hospital in critical condition. The 26-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and other charges. He was committed at Mendocino State Mental Hospital for the criminally insane. He was there in 1950.

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Argens served with the San Francisco Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Argens.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch February 21, 1937
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Albert is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1937, 123 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 41st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Albert was 32. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

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

When

February holds 7.4% 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 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years

Officer Albert W. Argens

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch February 21, 1937

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 40-E

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