"In Memory of Walter"
Contributed by Velma Masner
Submitted by: Chris Walters - 2008

 

Walter Kesterson PicWalter Henry Kesterson
13 May 1894 - 04 Feb 1946
Killed in the line of duty

Our whole class, except two of us who went undercover, were assigned on December 8, 1940 to traffic control in downtown L.A. The rest of my time in traffic went quickly. Several rainy days added to the congestion. The heaviest day of traffic congestion, and the last day we extra officers worked, was December 26, when Christmas presents were exchanged and the after-Christmas sales started. I was told to report the next evening to the Reserve Unit, which was also assigned to Central Division. In the 1940’s the Reserve Unit was a mobile crime-crushing unit. In a later Department Re-organization it came to be called Metropolitan Division. Its members worked in uniform or plain clothes, depending on the nature of the assignment. Reserve Unit officers were moved throughout the city to all the crime hot spots to suppress criminal activity. This was done with increased foot or motor patrol, or by staking out business places likely to attract criminal activity.

In the absence of a specific assignment, the Reserve Unit covered the skid row area of the city. This was the area from Main Street to Central Avenue, between 3rd and 7th Streets. Fifth and Main Streets were principal axis of activity. This was an area of cheap hotels, flop houses, missions, all night movies, pawn shops, liquor stores, cheap restaurants and cheaper bars, two bus stations and a street car terminal. It was mostly a masculine world. Some "flea bag" prostitutes hung out in the cheaper beer bars. Their customers were as destitute and burnt out as were the prostitutes. Female winos were a rarity. This area was frequented by winos, thieves, hustlers, drunk rollers, strong arm robbers, and ex-convicts, as well as by working men between jobs or down on their luck, construction workers, miners, lumber jacks, seamen, truck drivers an swampers and day laborers.
I was teamed up with Walter Kesterson, a veteran officer, for several nights to get the feeling of the area and the people who frequent it. Kesterson was a quiet and competent officer who knew how to get along with everyone, not only his brother officers, but also the people he put in jail. Some officers made a lot of arrests but had an equal number of altercations. Kesterson made as many arrests as anyone, but never had any trouble. He looked like he was carved out granite. He was all business, didn’t raise his voice and didn’t use any derogatory expressions. I was fortunate to be assigned with him. We wore plain clothes, stopped a lot of people and questioned them. I also was able to learn the geography of the area while working with Kesterson.

On Tuesday morning, February 5, 1946, I picked up the morning paper from the front yard. I would normally glance at the headlines and then put in it in the entry way hall for Grace when she got up. But when I opened it up this morning, there on the front page was sad and shocking news. Walter Kesterson, the officer who broke me in when I went to the Reserve Unit, was shot and killed at 10:00 p.m., the night before.
A theater at 126 East Santa Barbara Avenue was held up at 9:00 p.m. by three men. At 10:00 p.m., Kesterson and his partner spotted a car containing two men at 43rd Place and South Avalon Blvd. The suspects answered the description of the theater hold-up men. The officers pulled the car over. Kesterson got out and ordered the two men out of their car. His partner remained in the police car. The two men got out with .38 caliber revolvers in their hand and one, Nathaniel Cooper, age 20, shot Kesterson in the chest. Kesterson then drew his weapon a .357 magnum revolver and shot and killed both Cooper and the other man, Gus Boyd, age 18. Kesterson died at the scene. Kesterson had been on the Department eighteen years and was still assigned to the Reserve Unit.
I rode the bus to work that morning and thought of the times I had worked with Kesteson and what a great policeman and gentleman he was. I wished that I had been working with the night before, maybe the outcome would have been different. At least I would not have sitting on my ass in a police car when the shooting started.
When I got to the office, I learned more details. The two murders were now suspected of killing a City of Vernon police officer, Richard Pennington on January 24. Pennington, a motor officer, stopped a car containing two men for a traffic violation and told the driver to drive to the Vernon police station. After they arrived at the police station parking lot, the driver shot and killed Officer Pennington. Ballistic tests were being run on the two .38’s carried by the men killed by Kesterson. The bullet that killed Kesterson entered his chest. Had the bullet continued in a straight line and exited or traveled upward, instead of downward, the wound would not have fatal. Tragically, the bullet traveled downward and struck Kesterson’s heart. Despite this fatal wound, Kesterson’s courage and determination gave him the strength to draw and fire killing both suspects.

The theater cashier identified both men as the persons who held her up. Nathaniel Cooper was also identified by a witness as the person who killed Officer Pennington. Even the ballistic test confirmed that the .38 that Cooper was carrying had killed Pennington.

Article by Retired Inspector John "two gun" Powers
Note from Author:: The Department’s Medal of Valor was first awarded in 1925 to Sergeant Frank S. Harper in recognition of Harper’s actions during a shootout and capture of a bandit. Officer Walter Kesterson’s actions would have deserved this small recognition of his courage and devotion to duty. However the award of the Department’s Medal of Valor was suspended from 1936 through 1952.

Walter H. Kesterson: Metropolitan Division’s First Officer Killed in the Line of Duty
By Sgt. Phil Smith
Every year, Metropolitan Division awards the “Kesterson – Pagliotti Award.” This award acknowledges a Metro Officer’s displayed courage, bravery, and valor under extreme duress. Most Department employees are aware of Officer Jim Pagliotti’s death on June 22, 1987; however, the majority of the Department, including Metropolitan Division Officers, are unaware of the circumstances regarding the death of Officer Walter Kesterson. Kesterson’s actions on the night of his death certainly exemplify the type of courage and valor any officer could expect of a Los Angeles Police Officer.
In the summer of 2005, a new commanding officer was assigned to Metropolitan Division. Captain Scott Kroeber, a former Metro Officer himself, wanted to prominently display both Kesterson and Pagliotti’s Medal of Valor Awards at Metro and affix each year’s recipient on a plaque below them. To Kroeber’s surprise, Kesterson never received a Medal of Valor for his actions. It was at this time that I began to research Kesterson’s death and subsequently submitted the below commendation for consideration for a posthumous Medal of Valor.
On February 4, 1946, at approximately 2045 hours, Mr. Gus Boyd and Mr. Nathaniel Cooper committed an armed robbery of a movie theater at 126 E. Santa Barbara Avenue, Los Angeles (Dr No. 155-383). The suspects fled the location. An initial crime broadcast was conducted, describing the suspects and their route of travel.
At 2100 hours, Metropolitan Division Officers W.H. Kesterson and E. W. Patrick were conducting crime suppression duties in the area of 43rd Place and Avalon Boulevard. The officers observed the suspects (Cooper and Boyd) and noted they matched the description of the suspects involved in the robbery. The officers opted to conduct an investigatory stop. Kesterson, who was the passenger officer, jumped out of the police vehicle and attempted to detain the two individuals. Cooper, who was wearing a brown coat, reached into the jacket pocket and a scuffle ensued between he and Kesterson. Cooper removed a .38 Caliber Revolver and fired at Kesterson, striking him in the upper torso. Kesterson, although sustaining a mortal wound, drew on his training and experience as an 18-year veteran of the Department and continued the gunbattle. He returned fire, resulting in the demise of Cooper. Concurrently, Boyd was also in the process of removing a handgun from his pocket. Kesterson was also able to direct fire at Boyd, thus neutralizing his deadly threat. Emergency Medical Technicians responded to the scene, however, both suspects were pronounced dead.
Kesterson was transported to the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital, however, he succumbed to his injuries and died upon arrival. Kesterson was survived by his wife, Mrs. Louise E. Kesterson.
A subsequent investigation revealed the suspects committed at least 25-armed robberies in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, it was found that Suspects Cooper and Boyd had been stopped for a driving under the influence violation two weeks prior to killing Kesterson (on January 24, 1946). Boyd had been driving and was directed by City of Vernon Police Department Motorcycle Officer Richard Pennington to drive one-block to Police Headquarters for processing. Upon arrival, Boyd exited his vehicle and immediately produced a handgun. Boyd shot Pennington in the upper torso and the head, instantly killing him. Boyd and Cooper fled the scene on foot and were not located.
Over the course of the next two weeks, the two suspects staged a reign of terror upon the citizens of Los Angeles County. Not only did they commit numerous armed robberies; they kidnapped and robbed Mr. James Austin. Austin, as well as additional victims of Boyd and Cooper, positively identified the duo as the suspects that had robbed them.

Ballistics later matched the gun Boyd had in his pocket to that of the gun that killed Vernon Police Officer Pennington. It was also noted that Kesterson's partner, Officer E. W. Patrick, was not involved in the officer-involved shooting. Patrick was in the process of parking the police vehicle and by the time he exited, the gunbattle was over.

Officer Kesterson is commended for not only paying the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the citizens of Los Angeles, but for displaying the type of valor few can match. It has been said that recipients of the Medal of Valor must have distinguished themselves by some action above and beyond the routine duties of police service. Kesterson not only died by protecting the citizens of Los Angeles but did so after sustaining a fatal wound. His actions were not only in the highest tradition of Metropolitan Division but also of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Note: I would like to thank L.A. Times Staffer Andrew Blankstein, who researched the archives and located several newspaper articles regarding Kesterson’s death. Additionally, Detective Richard Bengtson of RHD’s Cold Case Unit was an invaluable resource.

Medal of Valor Being Awarded
My name is Phil Smith and I am a Lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department. Last year, my Captain asked me to research the death of a Los Angeles Police Officer that had been killed in the line of duty in 1946. The officer, Walter H. Kesterson, was involved in a shootout with two robbery suspects and Kesterson received a mortal wound. After sustaining the wound, he continued the gunfight and subsequently killed the two robbery suspects. At the time, for unknown reasons, there was a moratorium on the "Medal of Valor" award and Kesterson received nothing for his valor. After a long, arduous investigation, I submitted a write-up on his valor and Kesterson received the Los Angeles Police Department's highest honor, the Medal of Valor (obviously, posthumously).
Newspaper articles at the time noted Kesterson was married to Louise E. Kesterson and they had no children. I, as yet, have been unable to locate any relatives of Kesterson's. Our department would like to have a Kesterson family member present at the Medal of Valor awards to accept the award on behalf of the family. According to some of the information I have been able to locate, Kesterson was born in 1895 and had a sister, Ruth E. Kesterson. They were the children of William and Rosa Kesterson. Kesterson was born in Belvidere, Iowa. (Written in 2006 for the LAPD magazine publication titled "The Thin Blue Line." Permission to post given by the author, Lt. Phil Smith, 22 Jan 2007.)
**In January 2007, a great nephew of Walter H. Kesterson has been found. Lt. Phil Smith has been put in touch with these family members. If you are a member of this family, you have every right to be very proud of the heroic efforts of your ancester, Walter H. Kesterson, LAPD.
**Mark Allen Tomlinson and his father Norman Walter Tomlinson accepted the Medal. It was a very proud moment.

May 10, 2007
46th Medal of Valor Ceremony

Today the Los Angeles Police Department presented 18 officers with the Medal of Valor, the Department's highest and most prestigious award. Hosted by the Los Angeles Police Foundation, the Department and City officials came together to honor the heroic acts of these fine officers. Opening remarks were given by William R "Russ" Colvin, Development Chair, Los Angeles Police Foundation, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Chief William J. Bratton, and Vice President Alan Skobin, Police Commission, who each in their own way made moving comments about the honorees. After which the mike was turned over to the Master of Ceremonies Dave Clark, News Anchor and Reporter, CBS-2/KCAL-9 who eloquently described the events to the guests. Here is a synopsis of these deeds, pay special attention to an incident which occurred in 1946.

WALTER KESTERSON
On February 4, 1946, while conducting crime-suppression duties in the area of 43rd Place and Avalon Blvd., Metropolitan Division Officers Walter Kesterson and E.W. Patrick observed two robbery suspects. The suspects had just committed an armed robbery at a local movie theater. Kesterson, the passenger officer, exited the police vehicle and attempted to detain the suspects. However, Cooper removed a .38-caliber revolver from his jacket and fired at Kesterson, striking him in the upper torso. Kesterson returned fire mortally wounding the suspect. Concurrently, Kesterson observed the second suspect removing a handgun from his pocket. Officer Kesterson was able to fire at Boyd, thus neutralizing his deadly threat. Both suspects were pronounced dead at the scene. Kesterson was transported to George Street Receiving Hospital, (now the Staples Center) and died upon arrival. The investigation would disclose that these suspects had committed at least 25 armed robberies in the LA Area, and were responsible for the death of Vernon Police Officer two weeks prior. Until today, Officer Kesterson had not been recognized by the Department.

 

 

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