Memorial for OPD ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors fallen officer

Amy Larson
·2 min read

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (KRON) — Hundreds of Bay Area law enforcement officers gathered on Friday to honor the life of fallen Oakland Police Department Officer Jordan Wingate. His casket was escorted by uniformed officers into Three Crosses Church in Castro Valley for a somber funeral service.

Wingate earned the honor of “Rookie of the Year” from the Oakland Police Officers Association in 2018. That same year, on August 13, he was gravely injured while on duty from a major vehicle collision.

The OPD rookie spent six years on life support in a hospital until he succumbed to his injuries on April 20, 2024. Wingate was 28 years old.

“Officer Wingate passed away … after valiantly battling injuries sustained in a vehicle collision while on duty. He was surrounded by his family, including retired OPD Captain Randell Wingate, when he passed,” the police department wrote. The officer is survived by his parents, siblings, and extended family.

A photograph of Oakland Police Department Officer Jordan Wingate (Image courtesy OPD)
A photograph of Oakland Police Department Officer Jordan Wingate (Image courtesy OPD)

Speakers at Friday’s memorial service included Interim Oakland Police Chief Darren Allison and the fallen officer’s father, Randell Wingate.

Jordan Wingate is the 55th Oakland Police Officer killed in the line of duty.

The officer was born on May 19, 1995 in Walnut Creek. He had an “all-American” childhood and played on his high school football team, Allison said.

When he turned 18 years old, Jordan Wingate began his public service career as an Oakland Police Cadet in 2013. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jordan Wingate was passionate about becoming a police officer in Oakland.

Oakland Police Department Officer Jordan Wingate
A photograph of Oakland Police Department Officer Jordan Wingate is displayed at a memorial service on April 26, 2024.

He graduated from the 176th Basic Academy on May 5, 2017 and became an OPD patrol officer.

OPD wrote, “Those who knew Officer Wingate described him as a hard worker who always had a smile on his face. Officer Wingate’s dedication to duty and commitment to serving our community exemplified the highest ideals of law enforcement. Officer Wingate was a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer.”

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