Forest Underwood

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch March 9, 1944

Age 41

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 80 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 232

Incident

Sergeant Forest Underwood was shot and killed by a robbery suspect. He was writing a parking citation at Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue when a taxi cab suddenly stopped next to him. The driver jumped out and yelled that there was a robber inside his cab. The subject jumped out of the cab and fired at Sergeant Underwood. He returned fire but missed the subject. As he lay dying, he was able to write down the license plate and a description of the murderer at the bottom of the citation he had been writing. The 18-year-old suspect, known as the "Cry Baby Bandit," forced two women to drive him away from the scene. He was arrested two weeks later in San Francisco. On June 19, 1944, the high school honor student was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison plus 26 years without the possibility of parole. Sergeant Underwood had served with the California Highway Patrol for at least four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-8110309E
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Underwood gave the California Highway Patrol 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Underwood.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 9, 1944

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life

Sergeant Forest Underwood 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 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

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious