Charles Howard Bridgeman
Agency patch
Sergeant

Charles Howard Bridgeman

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA
Accident
End of Watch March 16, 1945
Age 43
The Vigil Panel 81 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Bridgeman accidentally shot himself in the stomach while examining a gun found on a subject. He and three other officers had gone to a home to investigate a fight between two females when the gun was confiscated. The gun discharged as he was examining the gun for any live rounds. Sergeant Bridgeman was taken to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital where he succumbed to his gunshot wound five days later.

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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.
Sergeant Bridgeman served with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Bridgeman.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA
Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 16, 1945
Age 43
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Charles 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 1945, 62 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 70th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Charles was 43. 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.

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

When

March holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.1%.

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

Los Angeles Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Charles among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Charles Howard Bridgeman

Los Angeles Police Department · End of Watch March 16, 1945

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 33-E

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