Police Officer Eugene Albert Doran, Hillsborough Police Department, California

Police Officer Eugene Albert Doran

Hillsborough Police Department, California

End of Watch Wednesday, August 5, 1959

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Eugene Albert Doran

Police Officer Eugene Doran was shot and killed during a traffic stop of a parolee on Bunker Hill Road, near Skyline Boulevard, at approximately 4:00 am.

He had radioed dispatch to request that the license plates be checked against a list of stolen plates. As the dispatcher radioed back to inform him they had been stolen, the man produced a .32 caliber revolver and shot Officer Doran six times, killing him.

The man was convicted of Officer Doran's murder and executed on April 26th, 1961.

Officer Doran was a United States Army Air Forces WWII veteran and had served with the Hillsborough Police Department for over three years. He was survived by his expectant wife and two children.

Several years after Officer Doran's murder, a bridge on I-280 was built near the spot where he was killed and named in his honor. Officer Doran's son, Patrick, was killed in the Vietnam War in 1967 while a member of the United States Marine Corps. The bridge was later renamed for both of them in recognition of their service to the United States.

Bio

Age 37
Tour 3 years, 6 months
Badge 10
Military Veteran

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Handgun; .32 caliber
Offender Executed in 1961

parolee, traffic stop

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Most Recent Reflection

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This case is tragic on so many levels.

Officer Eugene Doran was felled just days from his own birthday.

The accused, 19-year-old Alexander Robillard had a long list of priors, but because he came from a well to do family in Hillsboro, he had practically slipped through the system until that early morning of August of 1959.

Eugene Doran had advocated for partnered patrols, and like other officers who gave their lives, literally that year and the year before (state trooper Albert Souden in Michigan also in 1959, officer James Caruso in Providence, Rhode Island in 1958) he was alone when attempting to apprehend this dangerous criminal.

Robillard himself, at 19, wasn't much older than Doran's sons,.

Doran's oldest son, Eugene Jr. would sadly give his life in service during the Vietnam War.

I cannot imagine the pain upon the family of Officer Doran at the twin losses.

Doran's story made national headlines in early August, bringing attention to the plight of dedicated officers who were assigned their duties solo. Officer Doran's advocating for partnered patrols was given urgency with his murder, but sadly, his story would be eclipsed in the press as, purely by coincidence, a mass shooting in Philadelphia would occur (at The Uptown Home For The Aged, committed by Kyrlo Czupirczuk on August 6, 1959) literally, the following day from officer Doran's murder.

Rest in peace officer Doran and Eugene Jr.

They were both heroes.