Samuel G. Cope, Sr.

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Accident

End of Watch January 16, 1940

Age 41

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 76 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 232

Incident

Officer Samuel Cope succumbed to injuries he received in a motorcycle crash on October 19, 1939, in West Covina. While traveling on Holt-Garvey Highway (present-day Interstate 10), a vehicle turned onto the highway from Sunset Avenue, hitting him. Officer Cope suffered from internal injuries and passed away at St. Vincent Hospital in Los Angeles. Officer Cope had served with the California Highway Patrol for four years and previously served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 10 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-3BC83CD4
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 Cope gave the California Highway Patrol 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Cope.

— 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 January 16, 1940

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Officer Samuel G. Cope, Sr. 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 California Highway Patrol, 151 of 233 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 64.8% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

151

of 233 officers

64.8% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers