Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Albert Crigler was shot and killed by a stagecoach robber. At approximately 1:30 p.m., the stagecoach from Cloverdale to Lakeport was held up by two masked men on Geysers Spring Road approximately 4 miles east of Cloverdale. The robbers, brothers-in-law, took the Wells, Fargo & Co. strongbox and ordered the driver to continue on his way. When word of the robbery reached Cloverdale, Constable Crigler deputized Samuel Allen and the two of them started out after the highwaymen. They caught up to them in a rocky area near Sulpher Creek at about 5:30 that afternoon. Constable Crigler ordered the men to put down their weapons and surrender. One put down his revolver but the second didn’t comply. He shot Constable Crigler in the right side of his body with a .44 caliber Colt’s navy revolver killing him almost immediately. Deputy Samuel Allen quickly returned fire with his .44 caliber Winchester rifle, striking the shooter through his left eye, killing him instantly. The other suspect retrieved his weapon and exchanged gunfire with Samuel Allen and was seriously wounded in his right arm. He escaped but was caught two days later while walking down the railroad tracks about 1 ½ miles south of Santa Rosa. He was still in possession of the money taken from the strongbox. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Wells, Fargo & Co. gave $300 to Constable Crigler’s widow and another $300 to Samuel Allen for the efforts of the lawmen. Constable Crigler had served with the agency for 3 years and also served a dual role as a deputy sheriff with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children and is buried in the Cloverdale Cemetery.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-CA-F645C115- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
138 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Crigler gave the Cloverdale Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cloverdale community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Albert P. Crigler 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Albert P. Crigler's cause is highlighted.
How Albert P. Crigler Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and Killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Albert P. Crigler is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Albert P. Crigler was killed by handgun; pistol.