Members of the San Fernando Police Department pay their respects each year by placing a wreath at the grave of fallen SFPD Officer Dennis Webb at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, they continued the tradition of placing a floral arrangement and hosting a memorial to the 30-year-old officer who was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 24, 1980.
SFPD Sgt. Pete Aguirre said, “Officer Webb made the ultimate sacrifice for our community 43 years ago on Christmas Eve. Every year, we honor his selfless service by laying a wreath at his graveside and spending a few minutes in humble gratitude for his bravery and dedication.”
Webb, then a five-year department veteran, was on patrol the night of Dec.24, 1980.
He spotted a man who matched the description of an armed robbery suspect who had just robbed a convenience store about 90 minutes before in nearby Sylmar.
Webb radioed the station for backup and exited his vehicle to question the man. When two fellow officers arrived less than two minutes after his last radio broadcast, they found Webb, a Vietnam veteran, on the ground, bleeding from six gunshot wounds.
The officers picked up the mortally wounded officer, placed him in a patrol car, and sped him to a nearby hospital. Webb was rushed into surgery but succumbed to his injuries while doctors worked to save his life.
The killer, who fit the description of an armed robber who had held up a 7-Eleven, drove off in Webb’s black and white patrol car, abandoning it in a park about eight miles from the shooting scene.
After an exhaustive investigation, two men would later confess to Webb’s killing. William Mothershed, a former honor student at Sylmar High School, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
For more information about San Fernando Police Department officers who died in the line of duty, visit https://ci.san-fernando.ca.us/sfpolice.
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