Roll of Honor

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Officer

Stephen Michael Linen, Jr.

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch August 12, 2001

Age 31

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 148 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 232

Incident

Officer Stephen Linen was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver at approximately 6:00 am while making a traffic stop on I-5, north of Leucadia Boulevard, in Encinitas.

He was standing on the shoulder next to his patrol car when another vehicle struck it at a high rate of speed. The impact pushed the patrol car into the roadway and the offender vehicle then struck Officer Linen, throwing him approximately 20 feet onto an embankment.

He was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 20-year-old driver, who was returning from an evening in Mexico, was arrested and charged with DUI. He was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years.

Officer Linen had served with the California Highway Patrol for seven years.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-933622E8
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 Linen gave the California Highway Patrol 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Linen.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 12, 2001

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Vehicular assault

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Sentenced to 10 years

Officer Stephen Michael Linen, Jr. 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 California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious