Staff held a moment of silence to remember fallen Correctional Officer Albert “Al” Patch at 8:39 a.m. on Aug. 17, 2021. The officer was slain in 1980 while on duty at California Medical Facility (CMF).
Patch was a 16-year veteran of the department when he was killed by an incarcerated person on Aug. 17, 1980. While responding to a fight involving three incarcerated people, he was fatally stabbed in the chest.
Patch is remembered for displaying courage and dedication to public safety. According to his friends, family and co-workers, he was a kind, loyal, dedicated man who took pride in his work and loved his family.
During the moment of silence staff reflected on the sacrifices and challenges this line of work requires.
The Albert Patch stone monument was dedicated in 2015 (see story).
Related content:
- In 1988, Correctional Officer Lyle Herman was killed while trying to stop a robbery.
- Early prison staff remembered through obituaries (see history story).
- Correctional officers have long walked the state’s toughest beat (see history story).
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