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Police Officer

Clark Hamilton Curlette

Metro-Dade Police Department — Miami, FL

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 1, 1976

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Badge 1138

The Vigil Panel 256 · Column 2 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 24

Incident

Police Officer Clark Curlette, Police Thomas Hodges, and Police Officer Frank D'Azevedo were shot and killed at 6:45 pm while conducting an investigation into stolen driver's licenses. Officer Curlette and Officer Hodges were waiting in a motel parking lot at Harding Avenue and 86th Street, while Officer D'Azevedo made a purchase of the stolen licenses approximately one block away. While in the parking lot, Officer Hodges and Officer Curlette noticed a car they suspected of being stolen. The two officers went to the motel manager and asked about the car. The manager informed them that the car belonged to a guest and told them which room the guest was staying in. As the officers went to the room, the manager called the guest to warn him the officers were coming. When the officers knocked on the door, the suspect opened fire with a double-barrel 12 gauge shotgun. Officer Hodges was struck in the face and Officer Curlette was struck in the abdomen. When Officer D'Azevedo heard the shots, he immediately ran back to the motel and found his partners' bodies. He saw the suspect running from the scene and began to chase him on foot. The suspect turned a corner, crouched down, and waited for Officer D'Azevedo. Officer D'Azevedo was shot when he came around the corner. The suspect fled the scene and committed suicide a short time later. Officer Curlette had been employed with the Metro-Dade Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Clark is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Curlette gave the Metro-Dade Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Miami community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Curlette.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Metro-Dade Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL

Platform Identity metrpd.miamidade.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 1, 1976

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Badge Number 1138

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Clark Hamilton Curlette served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1967â1973) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Clark is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1976, 137 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 30th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Clark had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded