Walter O. Salisbury

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch January 2, 1939

Age 46

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 75 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Officer Salisbury was shot and killed attempting to protect a prisoner. The prisoner had been arrested for stabbing his wife and mother-in-law and was being guarded by Officer Salisbury at a local hospital. The prisoner's brother-in-law pushed his way into the room he was being guarded in and opened fire, killing the prisoner and mortally wounding Officer Salisbury as he tried to protect his prisoner. Officer Salisbury succumbed to his wounds two weeks later. The suspect was convicted of two counts of second degree murder on April 10, 1939, and sentenced to two terms of five years to life to run concurrently in San Quentin Prison.

Survivors

Officer Salisbury had been with the agency for 14 years and was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-72C25A0E
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 Salisbury gave the San Francisco Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Salisbury.

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

Agency

Department San Francisco Police Department

Location San Francisco, CA

Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 2, 1939

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to 5 years to life

Officer Walter O. Salisbury 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 San Francisco Police Department, 66 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.3% of this agency's fallen.

San Francisco Police Department

of 106 officers

62.3% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious