Forest Underwood
Agency patch
Sergeant

Forest Underwood

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Felonious
End of Watch March 9, 1944
Age 41
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Forest Underwood was shot and killed by a robbery suspect. He was writing a parking citation at Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue when a taxi cab suddenly stopped next to him. The driver jumped out and yelled that there was a robber inside his cab. The subject jumped out of the cab and fired at Sergeant Underwood. He returned fire but missed the subject. As he lay dying, he was able to write down the license plate and a description of the murderer at the bottom of the citation he had been writing. The 18-year-old suspect, known as the "Cry Baby Bandit," forced two women to drive him away from the scene. He was arrested two weeks later in San Francisco. On June 19, 1944, the high school honor student was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison plus 26 years without the possibility of parole. Sergeant Underwood had served with the California Highway Patrol for at least four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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 Underwood gave the California Highway Patrol 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Underwood.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 9, 1944
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 41
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Forest is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 1944, 59 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 129th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Forest was 41. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Forest had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

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

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, Forest among them.

Across the years

Sergeant Forest Underwood

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch March 9, 1944

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 1-W

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