Scott Percy Yolton
Agency patch
Special Officer

Scott Percy Yolton

Felonious
End of Watch January 6, 1918
Age 19
Tour of Duty 1 mo
The Vigil Panel 33 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Texas Incident Date: Thursday, January 3, 1918 Weapon: Handgun; .45 caliber Offender: Charged with murder

Special Officer S. Percy Yolton succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained three days earlier in the Southern Pacific Railroad's Englewood yards in Houston, Texas.

He had just arrested two men who had arrived in the railroad yards on a freight train and was walking them out of the yards when of the men produced a .45 caliber handgun and shot him in the abdomen. Despite his wounds, he returned fire but did not strike either subject as they fled.

A deserter from the U.S. Army's Camp Bowie was arrested several days later and charged with murder in a military court martial.

Officer Yolton had served with the Southern Pacific Railroad Police for at least six weeks.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents and five siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-DBA25332
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.
Special Officer Yolton served with the Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Officer Yolton.

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

Agency

Location San Francisco, CA
Platform Identity sprpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 6, 1918
Tour of Duty 1 mo
Age 19
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun; .45 caliber
Offender Charged with murder

Special Officer Scott Percy Yolton 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 Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department, 15 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.2% of this agency's fallen.

Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department
15
of 23 officers
65.2% Felonious
CA — Statewide
974
of 1,837 officers
53% Felonious
Nationwide
17,623
of 32,508 officers
54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Scott Percy Yolton's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Scott Percy Yolton Compares

Age at End of Watch
19
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
0.1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Charged with murder

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Scott Percy Yolton is highlighted in Jan.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,517
May
1,505
Jun
1,443
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,516
Sep
1,553
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Scott Percy Yolton was killed by handgun; .45 caliber.

Gun; Unknown type
5,083
Handgun
2,077
Shotgun
922
Officer's handgun
909
Automobile; Alcohol involved
530
Rifle
518

Incident Location