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Policeman

Ernest Wylie Smith

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 23, 1925

Age 26

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 49 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 239

Incident

Policeman Wylie Smith succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day while he and other officers attempted to arrest four bank robbery suspects. A motorcycle officer pursued the suspects until the men stopped the car and exited. The suspects opened fire on the motorcycle officer and other officers who were arriving on the scene. The motorcycle officer was wounded in the hip, and Policeman Smith suffered a fatal shot to his chest. One of the suspects was shot and killed, one was wounded, and taken into custody, and two escaped from the scene. One suspect was captured in San Francisco a few days later and the other suspect was apprehended in Chicago, Illinois, several days later. On January 3, 1926, two of the suspects, 21 and 23, were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. On January 22, 1934, one hanged himself with a bed sheet in his cell at Folsom Prison. The other was denied parole on June 28, 1942. Policeman Smith was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Los Angeles Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother, three sisters, and a brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-1033A0D1
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Ernest 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.
Policeman Smith gave the Los Angeles Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 23, 1925

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Ernest Wylie Smith served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Policeman Ernest Wylie 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 Los Angeles Police Department, 115 of 240 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.9% of this agency's fallen.

Los Angeles Police Department

115

of 240 officers

47.9% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious