Thomas Jefferson Packard
Agency patch
City Marshal

Thomas Jefferson Packard

Bakersfield Police Department — Bakersfield, CA
Felonious
End of Watch April 20, 1903
Age 43
The Vigil Panel 18 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Marshal Thomas Packard and Deputy Tibbet were shot and killed while attempting to serve a murder warrant on a suspect. The suspect was shot and killed as he attempted to escape by Deputy Tibbet's brother, who was also a Deputy Sheriff. Marshal Packard succumbed to his wounds the following morning. A second suspect was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for the murders, but committed suicide before the sentence was carried out. Marshal Packard was survived by his wife and brother. He is buried in Union Cemetery, Bakersfield, California.

Survivors

Marshal Packard was survived by his wife and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-292BDBC0
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
City Marshal Packard served with the Bakersfield Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Bakersfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, City Marshal Packard.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Bakersfield, Kern County, CA
Platform Identity bpd.kern.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 20, 1903
Age 43
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

City Marshal Thomas Jefferson Packard 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 Bakersfield Police Department, 1 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 12.5% of this agency's fallen.

Bakersfield Police Department
1
of 8 officers
12.5% 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. Thomas Jefferson Packard's cause is highlighted.

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

How Thomas Jefferson Packard Compares

Age at Death
43
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Jefferson Packard is highlighted in Apr.

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. Thomas Jefferson Packard was killed by gun.

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