John William Grubensky
Agency patch
Officer

John William Grubensky

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA
Accident
End of Watch October 20, 1991
Age 32
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Badge 576
The Vigil Panel 305 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Grubensky was killed as he tried to evacuate a family from their home during a deadly firestorm on Charing Cross Road in Oakland. When his body was found, he was lying on top of a woman's body whom he was trying to rescue. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake, Officer Grubensky risked his life crawling through sections of the Nimitz Highway, looking for survivors. Officer Grubensky had served with the Oakland Police Department for five years.

Survivors

survivors.

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.
Officer Grubensky gave the Oakland Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Grubensky.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Oakland, Alameda County, CA
Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 20, 1991
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 32
Badge Number 576
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1991, 52 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 90th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 32. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. John 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

October holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Sundays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Oakland Police Department has 54 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer John William Grubensky

Oakland Police Department · End of Watch October 20, 1991

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-W

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