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Frederick Holmes Cook
Agency patch
Corporal

Frederick Holmes Cook

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
United States flag California flag
End of Watch November 26, 1915
Age 41
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
The Vigil Panel 30 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Corporal Frederick Cook was shot and killed in a shootout with five armed robbery suspect at the Presidio. Officers had chased the five suspects 40 blocks through San Francisco at approximately 1:30 A.M., with gunfire exchanged during the high speed chase. When the suspects' car collided with the Presidio wall, four of the suspects were thrown from the car and over the wall. As police approached the wreckage, the fifth suspect opened fire from behind the car and his first shot struck Corporal Cook in the abdomen. Corporal Cook was able to return fire, killing one suspect. The four accomplices escaped. Three weeks later they shot and killed Patrolman Lawrence Kost of the Seattle Police Department as they were robbing a drug store. In March of 1916, one of the suspects was arrested when he sought medical attention for a gunshot wound at a Los Angeles hospital. He was shot when he attempted to rob a cafe. He told officials two were in San Quintin serving terms for robberies committed in Los Angeles. The fourth suspect was in jail in San Francisco. He said that he, the other three, were responsible for killing Patrolman Lawrence Kost of the Seattle Police Department on December 12, 1915. After the murder of Kost they returned to San Francisco where they shot and killed a man after the broke into his home. During the last six months they had committed 11 holdups in Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. They had stolen several cars. He said he was not the killer of the three, and only one of the four killed all three. In 1917 he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 25 years in San Quentin. In 1917 the other three were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in San Quentin. One, 22, was paroled March 29, 1939. Corporal Cook died two days later, almost one month short of his 42nd birthday. Corporal Cook had served with the San Francisco Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and one son.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corporal Cook gave the San Francisco Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Cook.

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

Agency

Department San Francisco Police Department
Type Police Department
Location San Francisco, CA
Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 26, 1915
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
Age 41
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Frederick is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1915, 152 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 26th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Frederick was 41. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Frederick had served 8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

San Francisco Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Frederick among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Corporal Frederick Holmes Cook

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch November 26, 1915

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 59-E

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