Roll of Honor
Incident
Corporal Frederick Cook was shot and killed in a shootout with five armed robbery suspect at the Presidio. Officers had chased the five suspects 40 blocks through San Francisco at approximately 1:30 A.M., with gunfire exchanged during the high speed chase. When the suspects' car collided with the Presidio wall, four of the suspects were thrown from the car and over the wall. As police approached the wreckage, the fifth suspect opened fire from behind the car and his first shot struck Corporal Cook in the abdomen. Corporal Cook was able to return fire, killing one suspect. The four accomplices escaped. Three weeks later they shot and killed Patrolman Lawrence Kost of the Seattle Police Department as they were robbing a drug store. In March of 1916, one of the suspects was arrested when he sought medical attention for a gunshot wound at a Los Angeles hospital. He was shot when he attempted to rob a cafe. He told officials two were in San Quintin serving terms for robberies committed in Los Angeles. The fourth suspect was in jail in San Francisco. He said that he, the other three, were responsible for killing Patrolman Lawrence Kost of the Seattle Police Department on December 12, 1915. After the murder of Kost they returned to San Francisco where they shot and killed a man after the broke into his home. During the last six months they had committed 11 holdups in Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. They had stolen several cars. He said he was not the killer of the three, and only one of the four killed all three. In 1917 he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 25 years in San Quentin. In 1917 the other three were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in San Quentin. One, 22, was paroled March 29, 1939. Corporal Cook died two days later, almost one month short of his 42nd birthday. Corporal Cook had served with the San Francisco Police Department for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and one son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-07556A30- 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.
Corporal Cook gave the San Francisco Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Cook.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Corporal Frederick Holmes Cook 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frederick Holmes Cook's cause is highlighted.
How Frederick Holmes Cook Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Frederick Holmes Cook is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Frederick Holmes Cook was killed by gun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
105 officers from San Francisco Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
