Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Constable John Lerri was one of five deputies killed as a result of a powder magazine explosion in pursuit of a suspected murderer.
He served 5 years as a law enforcement officer and was survived by his wife, eight children, and his mother.
Deputy Sheriff Daniel Cameron, Constable Gustave Koch, Deputy Sheriff John Lerri, Deputy Sheriff Charles White, and Deputy Sheriff George Woodsum were killed when a powder magazine containing a barricaded murder suspect exploded at 5:18 a.m. The suspect was an employee of the California Fuse and Explosive Works Company and had murdered a coworker during a dispute over Chinese lottery tickets.
The suspect fled into the powder keg, which contained 5 tons of powder, and threatened to blow it up if anyone attempted to arrest him. The standoff continued overnight and into the morning until the suspect called Deputy White and told him he was ready to come out.
As the other deputies approached the magazine, it suddenly exploded, killing the five deputies, a female bystander, and the suspect and seriously injuring two other deputies. The California Fuse and Explosive Works Company was located in the current-day Melrose area of Oakland. The blast caused damage as far north as 13th Avenue, east on Merrill Avenue, and south to San Leandro.
Survivors
He served 5 years as a law enforcement officer and was survived by his wife, eight children, and his mother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-491A49DC- 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
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Constable Lerri gave the Alameda County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Constable John J. Lerri is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Alameda County Sheriff's Office, 6 of 11 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 54.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John J. Lerri's cause is highlighted.
How John J. Lerri Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John J. Lerri is highlighted in Jul.
Others Who Wore This Badge
10 officers from Alameda County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
