Vernon McDowell

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Cardiac

End of Watch February 21, 1981

Age 54

The Vigil Panel 124 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Lieutenant McDowell suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-CC0A6F0C
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.
Lieutenant McDowell served with the San Francisco Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant McDowell.

— 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 February 21, 1981

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Lieutenant Vernon McDowell is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 52 of 1,837 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 2.8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

At San Francisco Police Department, 2 of 106 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 1.9% of this agency's fallen.

San Francisco Police Department

of 106 officers

1.9% Cardiac

CA — Statewide

of 1,837 officers

2.8% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac