Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Officer Bogardus,
On today, the 60th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of Los Angeles. And to your Family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

BPA Mike Casey
United States Border Patrol
El Paso Station

April 6, 2019

Rest in peace Policeman Bogardus.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

March 22, 2019

I recently discovered this website containing the details of the passing of Officer Charles Bogardus. Mildred, his wife, was my grandmother. She had divorced my grandfather in Tennessee and married Charles after her return to California. My Father was John Burley Edens (Charles' step-son) and he inherited a few of Charles' personal items after her passing. And now I've inherited those items after my father's passing in 2006. Included in those items are a pearl handled Smith and Wesson pistol and his Medal of Valor plaque. I had heard the tale of that fateful night from my father, but some of the details shared by those who've posted here are somewhat different than I remember. I'm grateful that I now have the full story shared by those who were there and those that knew him best. I will cherish those personal items from Bogey now more than ever. To each of you, I am sincerely grateful for the time you took to share his story.

John H Edens
Step-Grandson

June 1, 2018

Rest In Peace Brother in Blue. You are a hero and thanks to you and your family for your sacrifice and service.

Officer Mike Robinson (Ret)
Upland Police Dept. CA

April 6, 2018

I am surprised that no one mentioned that Officer Bogardus received the Medal of Valor, so I will. I had just finished watching a Dragnet 1970 episode and wanted to read about the event it was based upon. The details were GREATLY changed; not "just the names." I am not nor have ever been a police officer but I hope this info benefits some one.

Jim Wilkinson

April 26, 2013

My father was the ambulance driver that pulled officer Bogardus from the market he told me what happen that day .It was a very sad thing hear but we where told only because my father was told to bring the family to a hero award presentation I was only six but still remember the story very well. R.I.P. Officer Bogardus and my father Don Gardner.

Steve Gardner
My Father Got the call to help

April 14, 2013

Rest in Peace, Policeman Bogardus. Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Officer 11169

January 14, 2012

My Dad, Norm Comeau, was the officer working with officer Bogardus that night. I was born a year or so after it happened, but I heard the story a few times as told by family members.

My Dad was only 25 years old and had just a couple of years on the force. I was told that my Dad and his partner, Officer Bogey (I didn't know his full name until last year) were in a shoot out and Officer Bogey was killed. I was told that Officer Bogey was married and had kids that were older than us (at the time my three older sisters were all under the age of 6).

My mom told me later that it changed my Dad forever. After that night, he rarely talked about his police work, and made a point of changing into street clothes before he came home. My Mom said he didn't want us to be reminded of the dangers of his job or be afraid that something bad might happen to him. Once in a while you'd hear my Dad talking to another officer about that night and about Bogey, but he did his best to shield us from the reality that his job could take him away from us forever. That didn't stop me or my sisters from telling everyone we knew that our Dad was a Police Officer. We were, and still are, so proud of our Dad.

My Dad, Retired LAPD Officer Norman A. Comeau, passed away on October 17, 2010 just six weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer.


Jodie Saunderson
San Clemente, CA

Daughter of Norm Comeau Retired Sgt.
LAPD

October 2, 2011

Another year has passed and you are still admired and respectfully remembered in the hearts and minds of so many. My thoughts and prayers are with your loved ones and friends on this anniversary of your EOW. You will never be forgotten.

James Sheppard
Father of Sgt. Jason L. Sheppard EOW 12/7/06

April 6, 2010

Rest in Peace buddy, we have the watch from here

Brother in Blue
Phoenix Police

February 3, 2010

Your heroism and service is honored today, the 50th anniversary of your death. Your memory lives and you continue to inspire. Thank you for your service. My cherished son Larry Lasater was a fellow police officer who was murdered in the line of duty on April 24, 2005 while serving as a Pittsburg, CA police officer.

Time never diminishes respect. Your memory will always be honored and revered.

To the retired officers who left their memories, thanks for letting us understand a little about this selfless man.
Rest In Peace.

Phyllis Loya

Phylllis Loya
mother of fallen officer Larry Lasater

April 5, 2009

YOU ARE REMEMBERED TODAY AND THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR SERVICE

Pat Van Den Berghe
MANCHESTER, NH

April 7, 2008

My father worked with Bogie a few times at University Div.
When Bogie died, I was 14 yrs old. My dad told me that Bogie had been looking for a way to be killed in the line of duty.
Bogie was dying of cancer and knew his family would receive more benefits if he died on duty. That is why he was still working as sick as he was. That is why he kicked the door in and ran into that office.
He sacrificed himself for his family, no doubts about it.
The television series "POLICE STORY" did an episode that was basically Bogardus story, actor Claude Akins played Bogie.
There was a movie starring Dabney Coleman as a cop who finds out he is dying and does all kinds of hazardous things on duty....later he finds out he is not dying.
Name of the movie, "SHORT TIME", 1990, was also inspired by Bogies story.
Ron Oliver, retired 1991, My father was Fred Oliver retied
1959, serial number 5403, now deceased.

Ofc Ron Oliver 12677
L.A.P.D. Retired

June 27, 2006

Some years ago, I had asked for reflections, to be sent to me at Southwest (formerly known as University) Station, of the officers killed in the line-of-duty, there. A retired cop by the name of Jesse Spurlock, wrote to me from Midwest City, OK. and shared the following about Charles Bogardus:

"I was just out of the Academy and had worked with Charles Bogardus the night before he died. Bogie had cancer and was in a lot of pain, but he insisted on continuing to work. Bogie still did his job very effectively. He insisted on doing his share of the work. However, because of the pain and suffering, he shouldn't have been working. As usual, all he had to eat was a small packet of crackers and a small glass of orange juice. I tried to get him to eat more, but he wouldn't. He said he didn't want anything else.

Bogie had weighed about 235 before he was stricken with cancer. He was down to 135 when I worked with him. He had been exceptionally strong before his sickness. His regular partner Norm (Comeau) said that before he was sick, Bogie was as strong as a bull. Norm said that Bogie had broken up a fight between two men once. He had actually picked one man up in each hand. When they turned their attention on Bogie, he threw them both across the room. When I was working with him though, he'd lost most of his strength.

Norm was back to work with Bogie on the 5th. My partner and I received an Ambulance-Shooting Call and were rolling on it, when Bogie and Norm spotted an armed robbery in-progress at a supermarket at Washington & Hoover. The two suspects spotted Bogie and Norm and ran upstairs into an office.

Comeau and Bogardus entered the store and took cover. Without warning, Bogie yelled, 'cover me,' and ran up the stairs toward the office. Norm yelled at Bogie to wait. When he reached the top, Bogie kicked in the door and entered the office. As Norm tried to figure out a course of action, he heard the sound of a scuffle in the office. Then Bogie ran out, without his gun, and headed back down the stairs. One of the suspects stood in the doorway and shot Bogardus as he ran down the stairs. Even thought the hold-up men were armed with their own guns, they had taken Bogie's. If he hadn't been so weak with cancer, they would have never taken his gun from him. The responding officers killed both the suspects in the shootout that followed.

They brought Bogie into the same hospital where I was with the shooting victim from my call. I stood beside the door as they rolled him in on the rolling stretcher. Bogie died within minutes of arriving at the hospital. His death was not in vain. I had been a police officer for less than five months. As I looked down at a man in a uniform like mine, with a badge like mine, and his gear like mine, I recognized a valuable object lesson. This was not a game we were playing. It was for real and it was for keeps. Probably because of Bogie's death, I was more careful on the streets from that time forward."

Signed,
Jesse R. Spurlock #10225

Sgt. K. Moreland
LAPD

December 7, 2005

Some years ago, I had asked for reflections, to be sent to me at Southwest (formerly known as University) Station, of the officers killed in the line-of-duty, there. A retired cop by the name of Ralph Kelly , wrote to me from Yarnell, AZ and shared the following about Charles Bogardus:

"'Bogey' was working patrol and responded to a silent burglary alarm, at a market on Adams, near Vermont. As Bogey entered the dark storage room, the hidden suspect shot him as he was coming in the doorway.

Bogey was of stocky build, like a wrestler. He was friendly, but not too talkative. He was a regular on the old AM Watch gang, which was a real fraternity! They would take one-another's call if they were closer. Requesting back-up wasn't necessary, because they were there, voluntarily, on hot calls. Several days a week, after EOW they would play touch football and then socialize at the 901 Club, next door to the station, on Jefferson.

It was one of life's rewards to have had friends of such fine caliber...they will not be forgotten."

Sincerely,
Ralph Kelly

Sgt. K. Moreland
LAPD

December 3, 2005

God bless you and your family.

TRP. B.K. Henline
NCSHP

January 17, 2005