David Edward Marks

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch February 7, 1974

Age 26

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 53

Incident

Police Officer David Marks and Police Officer David Branhan were shot and killed while responding to a call at Madison Junior High School at 300 Capistrano Drive. The officers had been dispatched to a middle school on a call that a disorderly person was fighting with staff on the school grounds. When the officers arrived, they located the man and took him to a conference room. The man began to struggle with the two officers, gained control of Officer Marks' service weapon, and shot them both. The man was apprehended at a nearby apartment building after he was shot and wounded by other officers. The subject was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive terms of 15 years to life on May 29th, 1975. Officer Marks was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served the Oakland Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-7A590B7E
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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.
Police Officer Marks gave the Oakland Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community, 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 Oakland Police Department

Location Oakland, CA

Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 7, 1974

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

David Edward Marks served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer David Edward Marks is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Oakland Police Department, 37 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 68.5% of this agency's fallen.

Oakland Police Department

of 54 officers

68.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious