John Francis Toolen
Agency patch
Sergeant

John Francis Toolen

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA
Felonious
End of Watch October 19, 1915
Age 40
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
The Vigil Panel 71 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Toolen was shot and killed while he and another officer were attempting to arrest an auto theft suspect. They had received information about the suspect's location and then went to the man's home to arrest him. As the officers spoke with the suspect's mother the man came down the stairs and opened fire on the officers, fatally wounding Sergeant Toolen. The suspect fled but was apprehended a few days later. The 23-year-old suspect was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years. He was paroled on September 10, 1921. Sergeant Toolen had been with the agency for nine years.

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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Toolen gave the Los Angeles Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Toolen.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA
Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 19, 1915
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 40
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.

34,117 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 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

John was 40. 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 9 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%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

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

Los Angeles Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant John Francis Toolen

Los Angeles Police Department · End of Watch October 19, 1915

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 28-E

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