John Walter Armatoski
Agency patch
Officer

John Walter Armatoski

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Felonious
End of Watch May 1, 1953
Age 35
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Badge 1281
The Vigil Panel 89 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer John Armatoski was struck and killed by a drunk driver as he stood beside a car he had stopped near Needles, California. The 57-year-old driver was jailed for drunk driving and other charges. Five days later he hanged himself in his jail cell. Officer Armatoski had served with the agency for 5 years.

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 Armatoski gave the California Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Armatoski.

— 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 May 1, 1953
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 35
Badge Number 1281
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1953, 72 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 98th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 35. 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. 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

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

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 automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years

Officer John Walter Armatoski

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch May 1, 1953

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 26-E

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