Roll of Honor

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Officer

Charles H. Sorenson

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 15, 1963

Age 32

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Badge 2341

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 232

Incident

Officer Charles Sorenson was shot and killed in Rio Vista, California while chasing two suspected armed robbers. He was on patrol when he spotted the suspect vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. He gave chase to the vehicle until it crashed near the Rio Vista Bridge over the Sacramento River. The suspects fled into an abandoned house and then shot Officer Sorenson in the neck as he came around the corner. The two suspects then stole Officer Sorenson's cruiser and led other officers on a chase at speeds of 130 mph. The suspects were finally stopped when they rammed a police roadblock six miles east of Fairfield, killing Deputy Sheriff Hale Humphrey of the Solano County Sheriff's Department. Both suspects, ages 18 and 16, were apprehended and charged with the deaths of both officers. The 16-year-old suspect was turned over to the California Youth Authority. The 18-year-old suspect, who was the driver of the car and the gunman, was convicted of first-degree murder of Officer Sorenson and second-degree murder of Deputy Humphrey and sentenced to death on September 17th, 1963. On August 23rd, 1966, his sentence was commuted to life. He was paroled from Soledad Prison in September 1978. Officer Sorenson was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the California Highway Patrol for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-F2440970
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Charles 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.
Officer Sorenson gave the California Highway Patrol 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 15, 1963

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 32

Badge Number 2341

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Charles H. Sorenson served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Charles H. Sorenson is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Felonious