Joseph W. Boswell
Agency patch
Patrol Special Police Officer

Joseph W. Boswell

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
End of Watch May 3, 1977
Age 53
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Badge 2645
The Vigil Panel 118 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrol Special Police Officer Joseph Boswell was shot and killed when he interrupted a drugstore robbery at 2450 San Bruno Avenue. Three suspects had taken the five drugstore employees hostage. When Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell visited the drugstore at 9:00 pm, the suspects shot him twice with a 12-gauge shotgun and once with a handgun. Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell had served as a special officer for 20 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his two sons, a brother, a sister, and four grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

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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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell gave the San Francisco Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrol Special Police Officer Boswell.

— 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 May 3, 1977
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 53
Badge Number 2645
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1977, 128 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 36th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 53. 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. Joseph had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

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 shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrol Special Police Officer Joseph W. Boswell

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch May 3, 1977

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-E

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