Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant John Young was shot and killed inside the Ingleside District Police Station. While the police station was emptied of officers who had responded to an earlier bombing at another location, two men entered the police station and stuck a 12-gauge shotgun through an opening in the bulletproof glass that separated the waiting area from the rest of the police station. The suspects fired between five and ten shotgun blasts, killing Sergeant Young and wounding a civilian employee of the department. Both gunmen then fled the station house and into a waiting getaway car. Both suspects were later determined to be members of the Black Liberation Army. Seven suspects were eventually apprehended and charged with Sergeant Young's murder. The charges were dropped in 1975 when evidence surfaced that confessions obtained might have been the result of torture. Two of the suspects were charged with the murders of Patrolman Waverly Jones and Patrolman Joseph A. Piagentiai of the New York City Police Department on May 21, 1971. Both were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. In 1999, Sergeant Young's case was reopened when new forensic evidence surfaced. On January 23, 2007, the original seven suspects were again arrested and charged with murder. On July 5, 2009, charges against four of the suspects were dropped. The two suspects who murdered the two New York police officers were convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter. They were sentenced to the time they served while awaiting trial and were returned to New York. Charges against the last suspect were dropped on August 18, 2011. Sergeant Young had served with the San Francisco Police Department for 22 years. Survivors include his wife. The San Francisco Police Station, Ingleside, is located on Sergeant John V. Young Lane, which is named after Sergeant Young. The Black Liberation Army was a violent, radical group that attempted to fight for independence from the United
Survivors
Survivors include his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-AA89DC3F- 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
22 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Young gave the San Francisco Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Young.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant John Victor Young 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Victor Young's cause is highlighted.
How John Victor Young Compares
Offender Outcome
Seven suspects arrested in 2007
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Victor Young is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Victor Young was killed by shotgun; 12 gauge.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
105 officers from San Francisco Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
