Dan Walters

Daniel Gene Walters

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 225 lb.
• High School Santana High School
• Debut June 1, 1992
• Final Game May 23, 1993
• Born August 15, 1966 in Brunswick, ME USA
• Died April 23, 2020 in San Diego, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dan Walters played catcher for the San Diego Padres in 1992 and 1993. His pro career ended in 1996 when he suffered a serious spinal injury diving for a ball during a spring training drill in Arizona. He had two steel rods inserted in his spine as a result.

He worked as a police officer for the city of San Diego, CA, starting in 1998 after his playing days were over. On November 12, 2003, Walters was struck by a bullet while on duty, responding to a domestic violence call, then was struck by a passing car, and was paralyzed from the neck down. He was confined to a wheelchair for the remaining years of his life, and suffered numerous complications, both physical and emotional. He passed away in 2020, aged 53, as a result of the condition. The San Diego Police Department considered his death to be job-related and gave him the full honors due to a fallen comrade.

Further Reading

• John Maffei: "Dan Walters, former Padre and San Diego police officer, dies at 53", The San Diego Union Tribune, April 23, 2020. [1]

Related Sites

• Paralyzed Policeman, Former Padre, returns to San Diego