Donald F. Reed

Garden Grove Police Department — Garden Grove, CA

Felonious

End of Watch June 7, 1980

Age 27

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 123 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Officer Donald Reed was shot and killed while attempting to serve a felony arrest warrant. He and three other officers arrested the man at a local bar at 8112 Garden Grove Boulevard. As they were walking him out of the back door, the man suddenly jerked free and pulled a .22 caliber pistol from his jacket pocket. He fatally shot Officer Reed and wounded two other officers. The suspect was sentenced to death in two separate trials. The man died in prison on July 7th, 2019, while still on death row. Officer Reed had served with the Garden Grove Police Department for three years and previously served with the Monterey Police Department.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-5A1C2653
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 Reed gave the Garden Grove Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Garden Grove community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Reed.

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

Agency

Department Garden Grove Police Department

Location Garden Grove, CA

Platform Identity ggpd.orange.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 7, 1980

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .22 caliber

Offender Sentenced to death

Officer Donald F. Reed 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 Garden Grove Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Garden Grove Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious