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Officer

Thomas Joel Steiner

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch April 21, 2004

Age 35

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 152 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 233

Incident

Officer Thomas Steiner was shot and killed while standing in front of the Pomona Courthouse after testifying in five traffic citation-related cases.

Officer Steiner was shot three times, including once in the head, in an unprovoked attack by a 16-year-old suspect intent on killing a police officer. Officer Steiner was walking across the street in front of the courthouse and paused to stop for traffic. As he stood in the street the suspect drove by and opened fire at Officer Steiner, striking him numerous times.

Officer Steiner was transported to a local hospital where he died five hours later.

The killer was apprehended several hours later by members of the Pomona Police Department. He was charged with murder. He later pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He received an additional 25-year-to-life sentence for using a firearm.

It was later discovered that the suspect shot Officer Steiner in an attempt to gain the respect of members of a Los Angeles gang. Fifty-seven members of that gang were arrested after a year-long investigation and charged with conspiracy in relation to the murder of Officer Steiner.

Officer Steiner had served with the California Highway Patrol for five years and was assigned to the Santa Fe Springs area.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and stepson.

In Our Keeping

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

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Steiner gave the California Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Steiner.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 21, 2004

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Thomas 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 2004, 79 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 86th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Thomas was 35. 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. Thomas had served 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

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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 gun; unknown type, in 9.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded