Roll of Honor
Incident
Reserve Officer Lester Cole was laying flares at an accident scene when he was struck and killed by the driver of an automobile. The driver reported he never saw the officer. Officer Cole was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Merchant Marines.
Survivors
He had served as a reserve officer with the Palo Alto Police Department for 14 years and was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-2ABB53BD- 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 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.
Reserve Officer Cole gave the Palo Alto Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Palo Alto community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Lester H. Cole served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Reserve Officer Lester H. Cole is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Palo Alto Police Dept., 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lester H. Cole's cause is highlighted.
How Lester H. Cole Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Lester H. Cole is highlighted in Jan.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Palo Alto Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
