Oakland Police Department, California
End of Watch: Thursday, February 7, 1974
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 7, 1974
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Police Officer David Marks and Police Officer David Branhan were shot and killed while responding to a call at Madison Junior High School at 300 Capistrano Drive.
The officers had been dispatched to a middle school on a call that a disorderly person was fighting with staff on the school grounds. When the officers arrived, they located the man and took him to a conference room. The man began to struggle with the two officers, gained control of Officer Marks' service weapon, and shot them both. The man was apprehended at a nearby apartment building after he was shot and wounded by other officers.
The subject was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive terms of 15 years to life on May 29th, 1975.
Officer Marks was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served the Oakland Police Department for two years. He was survived by his mother.