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Officer

Edwin J. Osgood

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch December 17, 1886

Age 52

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Badge 169

The Vigil Panel 9 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Officer Edwin Osgood was fatally stabbed by a suspect that approached him to report a larceny. While patrolling his beat, Officer Osgood was approached by a man at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Dupont Avenue (modern day Grant Avenue) at approximately 3:15 am. The man reported that his watch had been taken from him at a low den and he wanted Officer Osgood's assistance in retrieving it. Officer Osgood explained to the man that making a search for such a small article would be useless at that hour and referred the man to the chief's office where he could make a report in the morning. The man left and crossed the street, but returned a few moments later and suddenly stabbed Officer Osgood in neck and fled. Officer Osgood tried to sound his whistle, but because of his wound, he was unable to. A passing citizen sounded the whistle, alerting other officers who responded and removed Officer Osgood to the hospital. He succumbed to his wounds four days later. The subject who stabbed him was never identified. Officer Osgood had served with the San Francisco Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter, and he is buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Fresno, California. In 1902 Officer Osgood's photograph was installed at the San Francisco Police Headquarters, along with four other officers killed in the line of duty, where it was displayed until the California earthquake of 1906 when all of the portraits were lost.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter, and he is buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Fresno, California.

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

140 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Osgood gave the San Francisco Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— 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 December 17, 1886

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 52

Badge Number 169

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Edwin 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1886, 51 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 139th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Edwin was 52. 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. Edwin 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

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon, in 2.2% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded