Dennis Bradley

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch October 8, 1953

Age 45

The Vigil Panel 89 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Inspector Bradley was shot and killed as he and three other officers moved in on a robbery suspect. The suspect was tracked to a house in Park Street. Two Officers when to the front door and two to the back, including Inspector Bradley. The two officers in the front knocked on the door, and the suspect fled to the back door where he was meet by Inspector Bradley and his partner. The officers and suspect exchanged gunfire and Inspector Bradley was fatal stuck in the head. Inspector Bradley's partner was shot in the foot and was unable to capture the fleeing suspect. The 26-year-old suspect was later arrested in Los Angeles after kidnapping two civilians and taking their car. He was sentenced to life in prison. A year later he was convicted of three store robberies in San Francisco and was sentenced to three five year terms. Inspector Bradley was survived by his wife. One of the two teenage boys the suspect kidnapped later became California's 43rd Lieutenant Governor, Leo T. McCarthy, from 1983 to 1995. The other teen was later a California State Senator for 22 years.

Survivors

Inspector Bradley was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-D6DAF0D3
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.
Inspector Bradley 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, Inspector Bradley.

— 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 October 8, 1953

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Luger

Offender Sentenced to life in prison

Inspector Dennis Bradley 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.

San Francisco Police Department

of 106 officers

62.3% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious