05/15/2026
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day to honor the courageous law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities.
Today, we remember the 363 officers (109 officers killed during 2025 and the additional 254 officers killed in previous years) added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and we pay tribute to four El Segundo Police Officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
On November 17, 1935, Officer Robert Grow was directing traffic when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. He had served with the department for only 5 months.
On June 13, 1949, Officer Alexander C. Haddock, a 14-year veteran, responded to a burglary alarm at the El Segundo High School. When he arrived, he found a burglar with whom he became engaged in a gun battle. Haddock killed the suspect but sustained a bullet wound to his right leg. Doctors were unable to remove the bullet and Haddock died as a result of complications of his injury over one year later.
On July 22, 1957, Officer Richard A. Phillips, 28, with two years of service, and Officer Milton G. Curtis, 25, with two months of service, stopped a man at Rosecrans Avenue and Pacific Coast Hwy for running a red light. The officers were unaware that the driver had just tied up 4 teenagers, robbed them, forced them to strip and r***d a 15-year-old girl prior to stealing their car. While writing the ticket, both officers were shot to death by the driver with a .22 caliber revolver.
On January 29, 2003, Gerald F. Mason was arrested for the murders of El Segundo Police Officers Richard Phillips and Milton Curtis. Mason later pled guilty in a Los Angeles County court and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
