Lester Dorman

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch December 5, 1920

Age 29

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 40 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Detective Lester Dorman, Sergeant Miles Jackson and Sheriff James Petray of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department were shot and killed as they attempted to arrest several suspects staying in a Santa Rosa home. The suspects, members of the Howard Street or Spud Murphy gang, had brutally attacked a group of girls in San Francisco and were tracked to a house on West 7th Street in Santa Rosa. The three officers entered the house where the suspects were staying to arrest them. One suspect was sitting on a couch, another one was sitting in the corner of the same room. As the officers began placing the suspects under arrest, the suspect sitting on the couch jumped up with a revolver and shot Detective Dorman, who later died. Sergeant Jackson, who was in another room rushed to the shots, but he too was shot and killed. Before he fell dead, Sergeant Jackson was able to shoot and wound one suspect. Sheriff Petray was also shot and killed during the incident. The suspects were arrested later in the day and brought to the local jail. An angry group of men demanded the killers be turned over to them to be hanged. After a standoff the mob finally prevailed and the suspects were dragged from their cells and hung. Detective Dorman had served with the San Francisco Police Department for six years. He was survived by his wife and parents. He is buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemtery, Colma, San Mateo County, California.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-4C144C7C
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.
Detective Dorman gave the San Francisco Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Dorman.

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

Agency

Department San Francisco Police Department

Location San Francisco, CA

Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 5, 1920

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Offender Hung by and angry mob

Detective Lester Dorman 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 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.

San Francisco Police Department

of 106 officers

62.3% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious