William T. Kohler

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA

Felonious

End of Watch July 4, 1931

Age 50

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 62 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 53

Incident

Police Officer William Kohler was shot and killed while investigating a call from two utility workers. The two men had told the officer they had seen several broken slot machines nearby in a lot near Mountain Boulevard and Shone Avenue. When Officer Kohler went to the scene he found two juveniles shooting at tin cans. As he approached, the suspects opened fire, striking him several times. The suspects then drove over his body as they fled. The gun the suspects used had been stolen from an officer they had shot and wounded in Alameda County one week earlier. That officer's life was saved when a bullet deflected off his badge. The suspects were arrested a few days later in Beaver, Utah, when they were caught attempting to steal a car. Both suspects were convicted of first-degree murder on September 18th, 1931, and sentenced to life in San Quentin Prison. One was paroled on September 24th, 1943. Officer Kohler had served with the Oakland Police Department for 25 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-90F8CF71
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

25 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Kohler gave the Oakland Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Kohler.

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

Agency

Department Oakland Police Department

Location Oakland, CA

Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 4, 1931

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender suspicious event

Police Officer William T. Kohler 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 Oakland Police Department, 37 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 68.5% of this agency's fallen.

Oakland Police Department

of 54 officers

68.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious