Russell G. Grower

Ontario Police Department — Ontario, CA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch February 21, 1958

Age 34

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 93 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Detective Russell Grower was shot and killed as he and two other detectives from separate agencies went to Soquel Canyon to investigate a gang of tire thieves. When a suspect answered the door of his cabin he attempted to shut it on Detective Grower when he identified himself as a police officer. The suspect then shot Detective Grower in the head. The suspect, 34, a former secret service agent with the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Service, had been released from a Arkansas mental hospital in October of 1957. He was apprehended the next day and later returned to a maximum security prison for the criminally insane. Detective Grower was a U.S. Air Force World War II veteran who was shot down over Germany and held prisoner for 13 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-D83B014C
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 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.
Detective Grower gave the Ontario Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ontario community, 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 Ontario Police Department

Location Ontario, CA

Platform Identity opd.sanbern.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 21, 1958

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Committed

Military Service

Russell G. Grower served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Detective Russell G. Grower 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 Ontario Police Department, 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Ontario Police Department

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious