Martin Roohan
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Martin Roohan

Felonious
End of Watch October 23, 1862
Age 63
The Vigil Panel 2 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Roohan was stabbed to death by an prisoner who was awaiting execution.

The prisoner attacked Deputy Roohan as he served him a meal. The subject was able to gain control of Deputy Roohan's knife and stabbed him with it.

The man successfully escaped but was shot and killed the next year in a dispute.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-4A942AEF
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

164 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Roohan served with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the San Jose community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location San Jose, Santa Clara County, CA
Platform Identity sccso.santaclara.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 23, 1862
Age 63
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's knife

Deputy Sheriff Martin Roohan 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 Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
5
of 7 officers
71.4% Felonious
CA — Statewide
974
of 1,837 officers
53% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Martin Roohan's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Martin Roohan Compares

Age at Death
63
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Martin Roohan is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Martin Roohan was killed by officer's knife.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909