Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Roosevelt Ferrell

Compton Unified School District Police Department — Compton, CA

Felonious

End of Watch March 16, 1987

Age 51

Badge 152

The Vigil Panel 131 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Police Officer Roosevelt Ferrell was shot in the leg by a sniper while on foot patrol at a local school. Officers began searching for him after he failed to respond to radio requests and found him a short time later. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a week later from cardiac arrest brought on by complications of his surgery. A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with shooting Officer Ferrell. Officer Ferrell had ordered him and two other youths off the school campus 40 minutes earlier after he caught them trespassing.

Survivors

Officer Ferrell was survived by his wife and children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-5A3DD453
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.
Police Officer Ferrell served with the Compton Unified School District Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Compton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Ferrell.

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

Agency

Department Compton Unified School District Police Department

Location Compton, CA

Platform Identity cusdpd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 16, 1987

Age 51

Badge Number 152

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Offender Arrested

Police Officer Roosevelt Ferrell 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%.

Compton Unified School District Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Roosevelt Ferrell's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Roosevelt Ferrell Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Offender Outcome

Arrested

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Roosevelt Ferrell is highlighted in Mar.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Roosevelt Ferrell was killed by rifle.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518