John O. "Skinny" Brame

Fresno Police Department — Fresno, CA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 22, 1931

Age 38

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 61 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Sergeant John Brame was shot and killed by the same man who had shot and killed Detective Frank Campbell one week earlier. Officers received information that the man had returned to the boarding house at 921 B Street in Fresno. When the officers went there to arrest him at 4:30 a.m., Sergeant Brame was shot and killed only a few feet away from where Detective Campbell had been shot. The suspect was shot and killed by other officers. Deputy Sheriff John O'Leary of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department became ill during the long search for the killer and died as a result. Sergeant Brame was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI who had served with the Fresno Police Department for eight years. He had previously served with the Fresno Fire Department and was a traffic officer at the district attorney's office.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-FDE55569
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.
Sergeant Brame gave the Fresno Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fresno 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 Fresno Police Department

Location Fresno, CA

Platform Identity frespd.fresno.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 22, 1931

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

John O. "Skinny" Brame served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant John O. "Skinny" Brame 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 Fresno Police Department, 8 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.3% of this agency's fallen.

Fresno Police Department

of 15 officers

53.3% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious