Seattle Police Department, Washington
End of Watch: Sunday, September 21, 1930
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 12, 1930
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Police Officer Gene Perry was shot when he attempted to stop a cash courier, who he was guarding, from being robbed at the Stewart Street entrance to the Central Terminal Station at 9th Street Avenue and Stewart Street.
When Officer Perry and the courier arrived at their destination, a man with a rifle ordered the courier to hand the money over. Officer Perry then reached for his service weapon, and he was shot three times.
Officer Perry succumbed to his wounds nine days later.
It is believed that the suspect also killed Police Officer Walter Cottle on September 29, 1930.
The suspect was shot and killed by officers in Oakland, California on November 30, 1930. He was wanted for a $56,000 train robbery in Nobel, California. His weapon of choice was a rifle, and Seattle detectives later learned that the shooter had been seen in Seattle around the time of Officer Perry's shooting. The Postal Inspector in San Francisco had the shooter's rifle. Several rounds were fired through the rifle and those shell casings and the casings collected at the scene of Officer Perry's shooting were sent to a ballistics expert in Portland, Oregon. The results of ballistics tests were announced on May 1, 1932, that all of the shell casings had been fired and ejected from the shooter's rifle.
Officer Perry had served with the Seattle Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife and son.