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Police Officer

Michael Daniel Crain

Riverside Police Department — Riverside, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch February 7, 2013

Age 34

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Badge 1226

The Vigil Panel 162 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 14

Incident

Police Officer Michael Crain was shot and killed when he and his partner were ambushed as they were stopped at a red light at the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Arlington Avenue at about 1:30 am. A subject opened fire on their patrol car, fatally wounding Officer Crain and severely wounding his partner.

The officers were ambushed by an ex-Los Angeles Police Department officer who had been fired in 2008. Several days earlier, the subject had murdered Public Safety Officer Keith Lawrence of the University of Southern California Department of Public Safety and his fiancee. His fiancee was the daughter of an LAPD captain who had been involved in the personnel review that led to his firing. It is believed that the subject had researched Officer Lawrence's background as a law enforcement officer prior to ambushing and murdering them. The subject then posted an online manifesto admitting to the murders and stated he would seek revenge on other officials involved with his personnel review and dismissal from the department.

Shortly before Officer Crain and his partner were shot, the subject shot and wounded an LAPD officer in Corona who was on a protective detail as a result of the threats made by the subject.

On Tuesday, February 12th, 2013, the subject was located in San Bernardino County by game wardens with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. After a shootout, the subject fled to a nearby cabin and became engaged in a prolonged shootout with members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Detective Jeremiah MacKay was fatally wounded, and another was seriously wounded.

The subject committed suicide after the cabin he was barricaded in became engulfed in flames.

Officer Crain was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Riverside Police Department for 11 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-C80EFD87
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Michael. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Michael is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Crain gave the Riverside Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Riverside community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Riverside Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Riverside, Riverside County, CA

Platform Identity rpd.riverside.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 7, 2013

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 34

Badge Number 1226

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Michael Daniel Crain served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1997â2001) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Michael Daniel Crain 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 97,759 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 Riverside Police Department, 14 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 93.3% of this agency's fallen.

Riverside Police Department

of 15 officers

93.3% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious