Thomas Finnelly

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch November 27, 1911

The Vigil Panel 26 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Officers Thomas Finnelly and Charles Castor were shot and killed when they attempted to arrest a man who was wanted for murder in Veley, Greece. The officers were informed by an informant that the suspect would be arriving in San Francisco on that day at the Ferry Building. When the officers attempted to arrest the suspect, the suspect shot them both. The suspect also shot and wounded the informant, who pointed him out to the police. The suspect was captured at the scene, tried, and hanged on March 14, 1913. A relative of the suspect killed the informant and was later arrested. Officer Finnelly was survived by his wife and three children. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California.

Survivors

Officer Finnelly was survived by his wife and three children.

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 Finnelly served with the San Francisco Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Finnelly.

— 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 November 27, 1911

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

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 1911, 149 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 27th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded