Officer

Walter O. Salisbury

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
End of Watch January 2, 1939
Age 46
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
The Vigil Panel 163 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Salisbury was shot and killed attempting to protect a prisoner. The prisoner had been arrested for stabbing his wife and mother-in-law and was being guarded by Officer Salisbury at a local hospital. The prisoner's brother-in-law pushed his way into the room he was being guarded in and opened fire, killing the prisoner and mortally wounding Officer Salisbury as he tried to protect his prisoner. Officer Salisbury succumbed to his wounds two weeks later. The suspect was convicted of two counts of second degree murder on April 10, 1939, and sentenced to two terms of five years to life to run concurrently in San Quentin Prison.

Survivors

Officer Salisbury had been with the agency for 14 years and was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Officer Salisbury gave the San Francisco Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Salisbury.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Francisco, CA
Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 2, 1939
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Walter 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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1939, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 79th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Walter was 46. 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. Walter had served 14 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%. Mondays: 13.8%.

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

San Francisco Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Walter among them.

Across the years

Officer Walter O. Salisbury

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch January 2, 1939

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 61-E

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