Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Matthew Bowen died from injuries received from being struck by a vehicle while initiating a traffic stop.
He initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive at about 11:00 am. While stopped along northbound Leisure Town Road, both Officer Bowen and the stopped driver were struck from behind by a driver believed to be under the influence of drugs. Officer Bowen was thrown from his motorcycle by the force of the collision.
Officer Bowen was transported to Kaiser Vacaville Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 3:00 PM.
The driver of the vehicle that caused the crash attempted to flee the scene immediately after hitting Officer Bowen but was stopped by community members and detained until additional police arrived. She was arrested at the scene.
Officer Bowen had served with the Vacaville Police Department for just over one year and had previously served with the Concord Police Department for 3-1/2 years.
He initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive at about 11:00 am. While stopped along northbound Leisure Town Road, both Officer Bowen and the stopped driver were struck from behind by a driver believed to be under the influence of drugs. Officer Bowen was thrown from his motorcycle by the force of the collision.
Officer Bowen had served with the Vacaville Police Department for just over one year and had previously served with the Concord Police Department for 3-1/2 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two children, his parents, and one brother.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-CA-53B1BB42- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
Police Officer Bowen gave the Vacaville Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Vacaville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Bowen.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Matthew Bowen 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Matthew Bowen's cause is highlighted.
How Matthew Bowen Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Matthew Bowen is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Matthew Bowen was killed by automobile.