Roll of Honor
Joseph W. Boswell
Incident
Patrol Special Police Officer Joseph Boswell was shot and killed when he interrupted a drugstore robbery at 2450 San Bruno Avenue. Three suspects had taken the five drugstore employees hostage. When Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell visited the drugstore at 9:00 pm, the suspects shot him twice with a 12-gauge shotgun and once with a handgun. Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell had served as a special officer for 20 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his two sons, a brother, a sister, and four grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-1677703E- 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
20 years. You could have gone home.
Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell gave the San Francisco Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrol Special Police Officer Joseph W. Boswell 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. Joseph W. Boswell's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph W. Boswell Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph W. Boswell is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Joseph W. Boswell was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
105 officers from San Francisco Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
