Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Lee Wilson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained approximately one-half mile east of Monrovia two weeks earlier while attempting to arrest a man wanted for a previous murder in Santa Ana.
He and a deputy constable had gone to the suspect's brother's house to arrest him. They located him in bed and told him he was under arrest. As he got dressed he was given permission to get his shoes from an adjoining room. As he was about to go to the other room Deputy Wilson noticed that the man's shoes were under his bed and told him to sit down.
When Deputy Wilson bent down to retrieve the shoes his .45 caliber Colt revolver became exposed. The man quickly grabbed the revolver from its holster and fired towards the officers. One of the rounds struck the constable's lantern, causing it to go out, and then deflected into Deputy Wilson's leg causing a serious injury. During the ensuing shootout the suspect's brother extinguished another lantern, causing the house to become totally dark.
The subject escaped during the confusion and remained free until May 1902 when he was captured by deputies in Yuma County, Arizona, following a shootout. He was returned to Los Angeles County where he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on January 18, 1911.
Deputy Wilson was single and had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for six years. He is buried at San Gabriel Cemetery in San Gabriel, California.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-CA-6F3094C3- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
129 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Wilson gave the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff George Lee Wilson 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 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept., 58 of 120 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 48.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. George Lee Wilson's cause is highlighted.
How George Lee Wilson Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 10 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. George Lee Wilson is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. George Lee Wilson was killed by officer's handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
119 officers from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
