Officer Robert E. "Bob" Reed

Robert E. "Bob" Reed

Officer Bob Reed was shot and killed by a prisoner he had just arrested for speeding and attempting to elude arrest on U.S. Highway 101 near Ventura.

The suspect crashed into a barricade and ran from the scene. Officer Reed captured him after a short chase. The 36-year-old suspect complained of an injured ankle, so Officer Reed transported him to the hospital in Ventura instead of the jail. He was ordered to the psychiatric ward when he grabbed a bottle of cleaning fluid and tried to drink it as he was being examined. As he was being transferred on a gurney, he grabbed Officer Reed's gun out of its holster and shot him.

The suspect was found to be insane and committed to a mental hospital. On July 28, 1960, he died at the state mental hospital in San Luis Obispo.

Officer Reed had served with the California Highway Patrol for four years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.