William A. Hammel
William A. Hamm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 13, 1865 Los Angeles |
| Died | January 1, 1932 (aged 66) Los Angeles |
| Police career | |
| Country | United States |
| Department | Los Angeles Police Department |
| Rank |  |
William "Billy" Augustus Hammel (March 13, 1865 – January 1, 1932) was sheriff of Los Angeles County, California, from 1898 to 1902,[1] and chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department for one year, six months, and 26 days in 1904–1905.[2] He was hired to replace Charles Elton.[3] Under Hammel, the LAPD used police automobiles for the first time.[3] He also added a third local police station, following up Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights divisions with a new building on Jefferson Blvd.[3] He reportedly "survived many gun battles."[1]
Biography
Hammel was the son of a physician, Dr. William A. Hammel, who came to San Francisco in 1849 for the California gold rush.[4][5] He was born in Los Angeles but was raised and went to school in the San Jose area, where he married Catherine McKiernan, daughter of a storied California mountain man.[6] He went to college at Santa Clara University and lived in Arizona briefly before moving back to Los Angeles.[4]
After a career as a grocery man, W. A. Hammel was first elected sheriff in 1898, serving a four-year term that ended with his defeat by William White.[4] He was elected sheriff again in 1906.[4] He was reportedly given "considerable credit" for arresting the brothers behind the 1910 Los Angeles Times bombing.[4][7] He retired from law enforcement for good in 1913.[8] At the time of his death one newspaper reported, "His most renowned exploit was when, singlehanded, he outrode a Mexican in a horse race to the border, shot it out with him and brought him, wounded, back to Los Angeles to face a trial for murder."[1]
The Times still thought highly of him some 20 years later: "Mr. Hammel took a leading part In the fight against lawlessness and crime, and to his straight hitting and incorruptible honor the county of Los Angeles owes an eternal debt of gratitude."[8]
The cause of death was heart attack.[1] He was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery.[5] He was survived by a daughter who lived in Beverly Hills, Mrs. Phyllis Staley, wife of Gerald Staley.[1][7]
See also
- Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department § List of police chiefs
- List of Los Angeles County sheriffs
References
- ^ a b c d e "Pioneer Sheriff of Los Angeles County Dies in Heart Attack". Riverside Daily Press. 1932-01-01. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ "Los Angeles Chiefs of Police - Names - Time Served". The Los Angeles Times. 1931-08-09. p. 126. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ^ a b c Capt. Arthur Sjoquist (1984). History of the LAPD. p. 49.
- ^ a b c d e "Los Angeles Ex-Sheriff Answers Reaper's Call". The Los Angeles Times. 1932-01-02. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ^ a b "Hammel's Last Rites Tomorrow". The Los Angeles Times. 1932-01-03. p. 20. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ "Former Santa Cruz Mountain Resident Dies in the South". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 1932-01-09. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ a b "Former Sheriff Taken by Death". The Los Angeles Times. 1932-01-02. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ a b "William A. Hammel". The Los Angeles Times. 1932-01-04. p. 20. Retrieved 2024-05-27.