Chico police, family gather to honor fallen officer
CHICO >> Officers and family members gathered Monday morning for a graveside memorial service to honor Carleton Bruce, the only Chico Police Department officer to lose his life in the line of duty.
The memorial was held at Chico Cemetery on the 83rd anniversary of Bruce’s death, Feb. 22, 1938, when he was fatally shot while responding a disturbance call at a local restaurant. Among those in attendance at were Bruce’s extended family, including his granddaughter, as well as the Chico Police Department Honor Guard, command staff and other personnel.
Bruce and fellow Chico police officer Tom Jones entered a downtown restaurant, Joe’s Tamale Parlor, at approximately 7:15 p.m. Inside, they encountered Elmer Schutrum, 55, who quickly turned around and fired at the officers with a rifle, hitting Bruce in the stomach.
After a brief gunfight between Schutrum and Jones, the owner of the restaurant and a bartender grabbed Schutrum from behind to neutralize him. A couple of the stray bullets Schutrum fired also struck a dentist
who was getting into his vehicle.
Bruce, meanwhile, was transported to Enloe Hospital and several doctors, including Dr. Newton Enloe, attended to him. He was pronounced dead at 7:35 p.m., approximately 20 minutes after the shooting.
A motive for the shooting was never truly established. Schutrum was taken into custody and transported to the police station. At approximately 8:55 p.m., officers discovered that Schutrum had hanged himself in his cell. Several theories were posed, though never confirmed, including some who believed Schutrum was there to “settle a score with one of the businesses owners.” Others, including some of Bruce’s family, believed the shooting was a set up.
Bruce left behind his wife Jessica and two young children, Carleton Jr. and Robert.
“The Chico Police Department has vowed to never forget officer Carlton Bruce and his devotion to this department and to the community of Chico,” the department stated in a press release.