Roll of Honor
Incident
Park Policeman Samuel Harper succumbed to injuries sustained on December 17th, 1896, while attempting to stop a team of runaway horses near Golden Gate Park.
A citizen was driving the horses as they pulled a wagon. The horses bolted at the corner of Stanyan Street and Haight Street and Park Policeman Harper gave chase on his own horse. As he attempted to catch the other horses his own horse fell over and rolled over Policeman Harper. The team of horses finally stopped and were put under control 11 blocks away at the intersection of Fell Street and Baker Street.
Policeman Harper was not initially believed to have suffered serious injuries, however, he developed blood poisoning and died on December 26th, 1896.
Policeman Harper had served with the San Francisco Police Department for at least four years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and predeceased by an infant daughter, who also died in 1896.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-D6272AF6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
130 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Park Policeman Harper gave the San Francisco Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Park Policeman Samuel W. Harper is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 San Francisco Police Department, 35 of 106 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samuel W. Harper's cause is highlighted.
How Samuel W. Harper Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Samuel W. Harper is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
105 officers from San Francisco Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
