Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Ralph Gardner was accidentally shot and killed while he was cleaning his service weapon at the police station.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-B5051C97- 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 Ralph. Claim this record.
Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Ralph is one person.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Gardner served with the Signal Hill Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Signal Hill community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Gardner.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Ralph L. Gardner served in the U.S. Army (1958â1959) before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer Ralph L. Gardner is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Signal Hill Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ralph L. Gardner's cause is highlighted.
How Ralph L. Gardner Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ralph L. Gardner is highlighted in Aug.
Military Service
Ralph L. Gardner served in the U.S. Army (1958–1959) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Ralph L. Gardner’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Signal Hill Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
