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Officer

Thomas Joel Steiner

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch April 21, 2004

Age 35

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 152 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 232

Incident

Officer Thomas Steiner was shot and killed while standing in front of the Pomona Courthouse after testifying in five traffic citation-related cases.

Officer Steiner was shot three times, including once in the head, in an unprovoked attack by a 16-year-old suspect intent on killing a police officer. Officer Steiner was walking across the street in front of the courthouse and paused to stop for traffic. As he stood in the street the suspect drove by and opened fire at Officer Steiner, striking him numerous times.

Officer Steiner was transported to a local hospital where he died five hours later.

The killer was apprehended several hours later by members of the Pomona Police Department. He was charged with murder. He later pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He received an additional 25-year-to-life sentence for using a firearm.

It was later discovered that the suspect shot Officer Steiner in an attempt to gain the respect of members of a Los Angeles gang. Fifty-seven members of that gang were arrested after a year-long investigation and charged with conspiracy in relation to the murder of Officer Steiner.

Officer Steiner had served with the California Highway Patrol for five years and was assigned to the Santa Fe Springs area.

Survivors

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

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-C0AD7552
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Steiner gave the California Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Steiner.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 21, 2004

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life without parole

Officer Thomas Joel Steiner is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious