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Frank E. Hermanson
Agency patch
Detective

Frank E. Hermanson

Kansas City Police Department — Kansas City, MO
Felonious
United States flag Missouri flag
End of Watch June 17, 1933
Age 46
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
The Vigil Panel 66 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 119

Incident

Detective Frank Hermanson was one of four law enforcement officers killed in an incident referred to as the Kansas City Massacre at the Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. At 7:17 a.m., as officers placed an escaped convict into a car to transport him to Leavenworth, two men stepped out from behind a parked car and fired at officers. During the barrage of gunfire, a car containing a few men also shot at officers with machine guns as they passed the parked cars. Detective Hermanson was standing between two patrol cars with Detective Grooms when he was slain. Detective Hermanson had served with the Kansas City Police Department for 13 years. Survivors include his wife and son. On June 17, 1933, a group of men attempted to free inmate Frank Nash as he was being transported to Leavenworth. In the ensuing gun battle, Detective Frank Hermanson and Detective William Grooms, of the Kansas City Police Department, Chief of Police Otto Read, of the McAlester Police Department, Oklahoma, and Special Agent Raymond Caffrey, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were shot and killed. This ambush became known as the Kansas City Massacre. Please click here to read more about the Kansas City Massacre and the law enforcement officers killed.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Hermanson gave the Kansas City Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Hermanson.

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

Agency

Department Kansas City Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Kansas City, Cass County, MO
Platform Identity kcpd.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 17, 1933
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Frank 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.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1933, 184 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 15th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Frank was 46. 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. Frank had served 13 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 8.1% 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

Kansas City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Frank among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective Frank E. Hermanson

Kansas City Police Department · End of Watch June 17, 1933

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 55-E

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