Officer Francis M. Rea
Sacramento Police Department
Officer Francis M. Rea
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Biography
Officer Francis M. Rea, 48, was a veteran member of the Sacramento Police Department who died on January 3, 1954, during a running gun battle with a burglary suspect armed with a stolen .22 caliber target pistol. He engaged the suspect in an effort to bring him to justice and was fatally wounded in the exchange.
Officer Rea is honored by the Sacramento Police Officers Association among the department's fallen officers. His willingness to face an armed and fleeing suspect exemplifies the courage that Sacramento's officers carry into every shift.