Fred A. Peitsch

Saint Paul Police Department — Saint Paul, MN

Felonious

End of Watch February 23, 1926

Age 37

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 195

The Vigil Panel 50 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 32

Incident

Officers Fred Peitsch and John Schultz were shot and killed while questioning a possible bootlegging suspect at 889 Laurel Avenue. The man shot the officers several times. As Officer Schultz attempted to crawl back to his patrol car the man shot him two more times, including once in the head. The suspect then fled in their patrol car. Three suspects were apprehended two days later in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and charged with both murders and several robberies. They were each sentenced to 240 years on the robbery charges but the murder charges were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. In September 1927 a gangster arrested for murdering another criminal in St. Paul stated that the dead man had murdered two police officers and several others. An investigation revealed that he was the murderer of Officer Peitsch and Officer Schultz as well as eight others. Officer Peitsch had served with the St. Paul Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MN-39C31432
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.
Police Officer Peitsch gave the Saint Paul Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Saint Paul community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Peitsch.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Saint Paul Police Department

Location Saint Paul, MN

Platform Identity sainpd.ramsey.mn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 23, 1926

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 37

Badge Number 195

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Deceased

Police Officer Fred A. Peitsch 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 MN, 173 of 293 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59% of this state's fallen. That is 4.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Saint Paul Police Department, 20 of 33 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.6% of this agency's fallen.

Saint Paul Police Department

of 33 officers

60.6% Felonious

MN — Statewide

173

of 293 officers

59% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious