Charles Taylor Smith

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 9, 1956

Age 27

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Badge 1359

The Vigil Panel 92 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 232

Incident

Officer Charles Smith was shot and killed while frisking one of two suspects. He had just stopped a vehicle for speeding on U.S. Highway 99, near Orland, and decided to investigate further. Unbeknownst to Officer Smith, the two occupants were AWOL Marines who had been on a crime spree. As he frisked one of the men the second man shot him in the back. Although mortally wounded, Officer Smith was able to draw his weapon and fatally shoot both suspects. Officer Smith had served as a military policeman with the US Marine Corps before joining the California Highway Patrol. He had served with the California Highway Patrol for four years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-18748706
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. Marine Corps. 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 Smith gave the California Highway Patrol 4 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 September 9, 1956

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 27

Badge Number 1359

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Charles Taylor Smith served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Charles Taylor Smith 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 97,759 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 97,759 officers

0% Felonious