Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Emil Engstrom succumbed to a gunshot wound he received while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect on Grant and Fifth Avenue in Minneapolis. At 11:00 pm, Officer Engstrom, one of the agency's taxicab inspectors, was riding with the president of a taxi company when he observed the suspect wanted for a robbery earlier in the day. When he approached the man, the suspect shot him in the neck and shot the president of the taxi company in the shoulder. The 24-year-old subject, suspected of three murders, fled but surrendered two days later. He was sentenced to life in prison and was denied parole on April 26, 1950. He applied for another parole in 1954, but the result is unknown. Officer Engstrom had only served with the Minneapolis Police Department for eight months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and a brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MN-B6B3AEB4- 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.
Officer Engstrom served with the Minneapolis Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Minneapolis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Engstrom.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Emil Engstrom 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 Minneapolis Police Department, 32 of 50 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Emil Engstrom's cause is highlighted.
How Emil Engstrom Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Emil Engstrom is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Emil Engstrom was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
49 officers from Minneapolis Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
