John F. Frey
Agency patch
Police Officer

John F. Frey

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA
Felonious
End of Watch October 28, 1967
Age 23
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 103 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer John Frey was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on 7th Street between Campbell Street and Willow Street. During the stop, he requested backup. When the backup officer arrived, they removed the two occupants of the vehicle and separated them for questioning. During the questioning, the male suspect opened fire, striking both officers. Officer Frey was struck in the chest, stomach, and leg. He succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a local hospital. The other officer was struck in the chest but was able to return fire and wound the suspect, who was later apprehended. The suspect served three years in prison and was later killed in 1989. The two suspects were members of the radical racist group The Black Panthers. Officer Frey had served with the Oakland Police Department for 18 months. Survivors include his wife and daughter. The Black Panther Party was a black nationalist and Marxist revolutionary political and militant organization active in the United States between 1966 and 1982. Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of over 20 law enforcement officers and the wounding of dozens more across the nation. Please click here to visit all the law enforcement officers who have died as a result of the Black Panther Party's violent activism.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Police Officer Frey gave the Oakland Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Frey.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Oakland, Alameda County, CA
Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 28, 1967
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1967, 105 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 48th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 23. 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. John had served 1.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

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

Oakland Police Department has 54 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer John F. Frey

Oakland Police Department · End of Watch October 28, 1967

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-E

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