Dennis Bradley
Agency patch
Inspector

Dennis Bradley

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
End of Watch October 8, 1953
Age 45
The Vigil Panel 89 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Inspector Bradley was shot and killed as he and three other officers moved in on a robbery suspect. The suspect was tracked to a house in Park Street. Two Officers when to the front door and two to the back, including Inspector Bradley. The two officers in the front knocked on the door, and the suspect fled to the back door where he was meet by Inspector Bradley and his partner. The officers and suspect exchanged gunfire and Inspector Bradley was fatal stuck in the head. Inspector Bradley's partner was shot in the foot and was unable to capture the fleeing suspect. The 26-year-old suspect was later arrested in Los Angeles after kidnapping two civilians and taking their car. He was sentenced to life in prison. A year later he was convicted of three store robberies in San Francisco and was sentenced to three five year terms. Inspector Bradley was survived by his wife. One of the two teenage boys the suspect kidnapped later became California's 43rd Lieutenant Governor, Leo T. McCarthy, from 1983 to 1995. The other teen was later a California State Senator for 22 years.

Survivors

Inspector Bradley was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-D6DAF0D3
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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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Inspector Bradley 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, Inspector Bradley.

— 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 October 8, 1953
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Inspector Dennis Bradley 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 97,772 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 San Francisco Police Department, 66 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.3% of this agency's fallen.

San Francisco Police Department
66
of 106 officers
62.3% Felonious
CA — Statewide
974
of 1,837 officers
53% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dennis Bradley's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Dennis Bradley Compares

Age at Death
45
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Dennis Bradley is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Dennis Bradley was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909