Deputy Sheriff

George Lee Wilson

Felonious
End of Watch January 8, 1897
Age 36
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 14 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Lee Wilson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained approximately one-half mile east of Monrovia two weeks earlier while attempting to arrest a man wanted for a previous murder in Santa Ana.

He and a deputy constable had gone to the suspect's brother's house to arrest him. They located him in bed and told him he was under arrest. As he got dressed he was given permission to get his shoes from an adjoining room. As he was about to go to the other room Deputy Wilson noticed that the man's shoes were under his bed and told him to sit down.

When Deputy Wilson bent down to retrieve the shoes his .45 caliber Colt revolver became exposed. The man quickly grabbed the revolver from its holster and fired towards the officers. One of the rounds struck the constable's lantern, causing it to go out, and then deflected into Deputy Wilson's leg causing a serious injury. During the ensuing shootout the suspect's brother extinguished another lantern, causing the house to become totally dark.

The subject escaped during the confusion and remained free until May 1902 when he was captured by deputies in Yuma County, Arizona, following a shootout. He was returned to Los Angeles County where he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on January 18, 1911.

Deputy Wilson was single and had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for six years. He is buried at San Gabriel Cemetery in San Gabriel, California.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

129 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Wilson gave the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, CA
Platform Identity lacso.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 8, 1897
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

George 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1897, 52 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 137th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

George was 36. 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. George had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% 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 officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, George among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Deputy Sheriff George Lee Wilson

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department · End of Watch January 8, 1897

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 31-E

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