Joseph Robert Free
Agency patch
Detective

Joseph Robert Free

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX
Felonious
End of Watch October 18, 1912
Age 30
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 27 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Joseph Free succumbed to injuries sustained on October 13th, 1912, while investigating a disturbance at a boarding house at 1020 McKee Street.

Residents of the rooming house complained to the police chief that a man had been making insulting and rude remarks to female occupants. The chief dispatched Detective Joseph Robert Free and a second detective to investigate. It was later learned that two mounted officers had answered a call at the rooming house earlier, but the subject was not in his room.

When the detectives arrived, several women told them the man was demented and had been acting crazy for days. They neglected to tell the detectives he was armed with a large caliber pistol. As the two detectives entered the room, the man shot and wounded Detective Free. The other detective moved Detective Free out of the doorway, and both detectives returned fire. The man was struck in the right chest and died at the scene.

Detective Free was struck on the right side of his stomach, and the bullet penetrated his liver. He died on October 18th, 1912.

Detective Free had served with the Houston Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Free gave the Houston Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Free.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Houston, Harris County, TX
Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 18, 1912
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1912, 133 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 33rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 30. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Joseph had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Houston Police Department has 117 officers remembered here, Joseph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective Joseph Robert Free

Houston Police Department · End of Watch October 18, 1912

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 37-W

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