Gene W. Perry

Seattle Police Department — Seattle, WA

Felonious

End of Watch September 21, 1930

Age 44

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 60 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 59

Incident

Police Officer Gene Perry was shot when he attempted to stop a cash courier, who he was guarding, from being robbed at the Stewart Street entrance to the Central Terminal Station at 9th Street Avenue and Stewart Street. When Officer Perry and the courier arrived at their destination, a man with a rifle ordered the courier to hand the money over. Officer Perry then reached for his service weapon, and he was shot three times. Officer Perry succumbed to his wounds nine days later. It is believed that the suspect also killed Police Officer Walter Cottle on September 29, 1930. The suspect was shot and killed by officers in Oakland, California on November 30, 1930. He was wanted for a $56,000 train robbery in Nobel, California. His weapon of choice was a rifle, and Seattle detectives later learned that the shooter had been seen in Seattle around the time of Officer Perry's shooting. The Postal Inspector in San Francisco had the shooter's rifle. Several rounds were fired through the rifle and those shell casings and the casings collected at the scene of Officer Perry's shooting were sent to a ballistics expert in Portland, Oregon. The results of ballistics tests were announced on May 1, 1932, that all of the shell casings had been fired and ejected from the shooter's rifle. Officer Perry had served with the Seattle Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WA-B4A9D0E9
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.
Police Officer Perry gave the Seattle Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Seattle community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Perry.

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

Agency

Department Seattle Police Department

Location Seattle, WA

Platform Identity seatpd.king.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 21, 1930

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Offender Shot and killed

Police Officer Gene W. Perry 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 WA, 187 of 339 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.2% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Seattle Police Department, 44 of 60 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 73.3% of this agency's fallen.

Seattle Police Department

of 60 officers

73.3% Felonious

WA — Statewide

187

of 339 officers

55.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious