Frank DeLeon

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — Sacramento, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 21, 1971

Age 44

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 108 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 41

Incident

Correctional Officer Frank DeLeon, Sergeant Jere Graham, and Correctional Officer Paul Krasenes were shot and slashed to death during a prison uprising when a civil rights lawyer smuggled a 9 mm pistol and two magazines of ammunition to a prisoner at San Quentin Prison. The prisoner hid the pistol and magazines in his afro wig. When one of the guards became suspicious of the wig, the prisoner ripped it off, loaded the handgun, and then held the guards at bay. The prisoner forced the guards to free 26 inmates, who then proceeded to attack the guards. They slashed the throats of six guards and also shot three of them to death. All of the guards' bodies were then stacked in the cell of the inmate who started the disturbance. The prisoners also murdered two jail trustees. The prisoner who started the uprising was shot and killed by responding officers. He was awaiting trial for the murder of Correctional Officer John V. Mills at Soledad Prison on January 16, 1970. Six prisoners were charged with the officer's murders. After a 16-month trial, only one was convicted of murder. He was paroled in 1988. Three were acquitted, and the other two were found guilty of assault. Only one remained in prison. He murdered Correctional Officer Robert J. McCarthy on March 4, 1971. He was stabbed to death during a prison riot at Folsom Penitentiary on August 12, 2015. Officer DeLeon was a United States Navy World War II veteran and an Air Force Korean War veteran who had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three daughters, and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-B09F2968
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Correctional Officer DeLeon gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Type Corrections

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity cdcrcorr.sacramento.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 21, 1971

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Frank DeLeon served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correctional Officer Frank DeLeon is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 30 of 42 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

of 42 officers

71.4% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Felonious