Manhattan Beach Remembers Police Officer Martin Ganz On 12/27

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The life of Manhattan Beach Police Officer Martin Ganz is remembered annually on December 27, the night he was gunned down and executed during what appeared to be a routine traffic stop. His 14-year-old nephew was with him in the police car on a ride along.

The night of Monday, December 27, 1993, Officer Ganz was assigned as a motor officer, according to a post on the Manhattan Beach Police Department Facebook page, "but on this fateful night, he was in a police car because his 14-year-old nephew was on a ride along with him. At approximately 11 p.m., Officer Ganz observed a driver commit a traffic violation at the intersection of 33rd Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. When Officer Ganz stopped the driver in the Manhattan Village Mall, the driver immediately shot Officer Ganz striking him in the shoulder. As Officer Ganz retreated to his patrol car, the suspect shot him again. Officer Ganz then collapsed to the rear of his patrol car where the suspect stood over him and executed him. His nephew was not injured.
Officer Ganz will always be remembered for his tireless efforts arresting DUI drivers and his dedication to the D.A.R.E. program. Officer Ganz was a Marine Corps veteran and only 29 years old when he was murdered.

"RIP Officer Ganz and thank you for your service and dedication to the City of Manhattan Beach."

The city has honored Officer Ganz, who had been with MBPD for four years, with the Martin Ganz Memorial in Live Oak Park, between Dorsey Field and the Live Oak Tennis Courts. In addition, the portion of I-405 between Rosecrans Avenue in the City of Manhattan Beach and Hawthorne Boulevard is named the Martin L. Ganz Memorial Highway.

For more information on Officer Ganz, visit MartinGanz.com. The events of that horrible night are also portrayed on the ID Channel series “Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death” and the episode is “The Ride Along”. It is Episode 3 in the series.